A Vampire In Storybrooke
by Aerilon452
Summary: One a stormy night in Storybrooke a woman shows up in the midst of the storm having appeared from the same world as Victor Frankenstein. Mina has an interesting history with Victor and with Jefferson and soon she makes friends with Belle as the two woman have a lot in common and soon she helps Belle with her relationship with Rumplestiltskin.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

The denizens of Storybrooke all remained in doors on this dark and rainy night. Thunder and lightning pierced the heavens with jagged lines and sonic booms loud enough to raise the dead. Dr. Victor Frankenstein sat in Granny's watching the abysmal weather longing for his home, for his Castle, for his research, and for his brother that he had yet to bring back from the dead. What had happened to his brother in the last 28 years? Victor shuddered to think about it as he continued to look out the window. Then, something caught his attention. In the center of the street thunder and lightning started to build up followed by a sonic boom so loud everyone in the diner had to cover their ears and close their eyes. When Victor opened his eyes, gazing out at the street once more, there was a body lying in the center of the street. The side of him that was a Doctor, that wanted to help, kicked in and before he knew it he was outside staring at the body.

Gold had been in his shop glaring at the sky for his terrible timing at bringing this storm. The whole day had been dreary; plain miserable forcing people to remain indoors. He had had plans with Belle, but they had required a clear day. Now he had wait for a better day and Rumplestiltskin hated waiting. Then the heavens opened up with their assault of lightning and thunder so loud it made his eyes and ears hurt. Though, what amazed him more was that as suddenly as all of the thunder and lightning started it stopped, leaving behind a person in the street. It was his curiosity more than anything that brought him out of his shop to investigate what new mystery this cursed town had deemed to present them with. He, however, was not the first person to be drawn from shelter. A few other interested people were already standing in a circle around the body; Victor, Jefferson, Regina, and David. "What happened?" Gold asked just to break he eerie silence that had befallen them.

Victor crouched down over the body, feeling a sense of familiarity. Tentatively he reached out, touching the shoulder, and pulling the form over where he saw the face of a woman he never thought to see again. "Mina?" Victor whispered brushing back a lock of her midnight hair from her perfectly pale cheek. Her eyes were closed, her clothes were soaked, and she was barely breathing. From what he remembered Mina could mimic respiration as if she were still alive. Gently he reached out and felt her pulse, even though it was a futile gesture. "Mina?" He called to her again. This time he felt her stir. Victor could only hope that she was still in her right frame of mind. But this would not be his luck. Mina's eyes opened blazing in green fire. Before his mind could process what was happening he felt her fangs tear into his neck, "MINA!" He shouted.

Mina didn't know what was happening, where she was, or who the people were surrounding her. All she knew was that she was starving. The hunger burned through her, scoured her throat and it made her feel as if she would never be sated again. Then she caught a whiff of home, of blood she had tasted before. Opening her eyes she saw Victor and his blood was calling to her, begging her to taste him. Mina could hardly refuse; she was ever so hungry. Feeling her fangs extend she used her vampiric speed to get behind him, pull down the collar of his shirt, and sink her teeth home in his skin. Her fangs punctured the vein in the crook of his neck and the sweet nectar of life flowed over her tongue, soothing her ravaged throat as it filled her stomach. She drank deep, so deep that if she wanted she could drain her victim in a matter of minutes. Mina tried to fight back the blood haze, the euphoria as she tried not to kill Victor. She wasn't a killer. She couldn't be. Fighting back the rising urge to kill her prey Mina threw herself away from Victor, from the people gathered around, and curled up.

Jefferson moved to Victor's side taking out a handkerchief and pressing it to the two neat fang marks. The doctor wasn't the only one who recognized the woman. "Mina, its Jefferson." He angled his head to look at Victor, who nodded. Jefferson looked at Regina, at David, and then at Rumplestiltskin. The imp just shrugged. The Hatter went to his knees and leaned over the quivering form of the woman he had seen many times in the Doctor's realm. Gently Jefferson reached out to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stopped shaking and looked at him. "You're safe here." He soothed.

"Where am I?" Mina asked recognizing Jefferson finally able to make her voice work. She looked at all the faces around her; Victor who was grasping the side of his neck. He looked pale, deathly pale. "Victor, I'm sorry." She apologized. Moving away from Jefferson she went to her friend. Without explaining to the others, who she knew would have questions; she pricked her finger, moved aside the blood soaked silk, and rubbed a small amount of her blood over his wound. "Don't you know better than to feed a starving vampire?" Mina scolded Victor with a smile as he shook his head. The side of the good doctor's neck healed up in the blink of an eye. "All better."

"Who are you?" Regina asked taking a step back when Victor and the woman stood up. The pale woman wavered on her feet only to be caught by Jefferson. It confused Regina and she didn't like that feeling. Magic had brought the woman here but how? No one could travel between another world and this one. There were no portal's left, at least none that she knew of?

Mina turned to the other woman seeing the glare of suspicion being directed at her. She nearly hissed in disapproval but bit down on the urge. "I'm Mina. Victor knows who I am." It was the only explanation that she was going to give. "If you're going to ask how I got here, I don't know. All I know is there was a storm and blinding light, then I was here starving and feeding on Victor."

"Ok," Regina mumbled, and then she said, "The better question to ask is, what kind of thing are you?" She let mistrust coat every single word.

"I'm not a thing." Mina snapped. Anger was always a sure way she would do something stupid and she was more than likely to hurt someone as she was still so hungry. The blood she could smell called to her like a sirens song. In an effort to fight it, she clenched her fists tight, her nails digging into her palms.

"You're obviously not a person!" Regina fired back. She was reacting to the small amount of instinctual fear that warned her to back away slowly from the new arrival.

"She's someone from my world," Victor said. "Mina and her husband have helped in my research in bringing someone back from the dead." The people in this circle were the only ones to truly know who and what he was and where he came from. "Mina is… not alive in the traditional sense. Something else animates her body." He explained glancing at her. Victor could see she was fighting back her urge to feed again. "Mina?"

"I need a glass of red wine and dry clothes. I look like a drowned rat," Mina looked down at her appearance. Her boots were soaked all the way through the leather, her leather pants were clinging to her legs, and the bodice she wore kept the wet fabric of her shirt pressed tightly against hr dead flesh making it uncomfortable. Even the long jacket she wore was like wearing a wet blanket. She was breathing hard, not from the need of oxygen, "It'll help." Mina wrapped her arms around her mid section feeling colder than she had ever felt. The blood she took from Victor hadn't been enough to sustain her, enough to make her look alive. She needed more; she needed blood from someone more powerful. Mina could smell power in this land and from the woman who had called her a thing. There was even power coming from the man who said nothing, who leaned on a cane, and remained out of the way. But Mina turned her attention back to Regina. She was still very hungry.

Victor could see what was happening. He knew Mina better than he knew the people of this world. Now that he had his memory back, he could help her. Quickly he covered her eyes before her compulsion worked on Regina, "We'll get you that wine and clothes." Victor looked to Jefferson, "Do have something fitting the lady's style?" The Hatter smiled, touched Mina's shoulder, and headed away from the group.

"Has it escaped anyone's notice that she attacked Dr. Whale, and we're just going to let her roam free?" Regina snapped.

"She was hungry," Victor let his voice fill with anger in response to Regina's ignorance.

"What is she?!"

Mina shook off Victor's hold and turned to the other woman, "I'm a vampire."

**GRANNY'S:**

Mina sat at the bar bouncing her left leg up and down in an attempt to distract herself from all the heart beats in the room. If she wasn't careful then she would lose her control and attack someone. In nearly 200 years of her undead life she hadn't killed a single living person no matter how hungry she was. Mina wasn't going to start now. Victor had managed to convince the Sheriff that she wasn't a danger and for now, the blond man was going to let her roam free. Resting her elbows on the table Mina scrubbed her hands over her cold face. She was alone; she was the only vampire in this place. It just hit her. The man she loved was alone and so was she. In the back of her mind, just a distant echo, she could feel a great sadness. Her love knew she was missing. Mina had to fight back tears.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ruby had seen the stranger when she had come into the diner with Dr. Whale and then he had left her here to run a quick errand. She had been watching the woman ever since.

Mina looked at the kind face of a woman who smelled of wild blood, of the wolf. It was something Mina recognized, "Yes, I'm fine." She wiped away her tears that had fallen despite her best efforts. "I just realized I'm alone here. The only one I know is Victor." Mina took a glance around at all the people staring at her. It was hard being the new face.

"I'm Ruby," Red offered her hand, "Now you know me." The woman grasped her hand and red gasped at the intense cold that bled into her skin, racing up her arm. She took her hand back quickly shocked.

"I'm sorry." Mina placed her hands in her lap. "I'm just starving." She offered up as an explanation. "When I haven't fed well, my skin gets really cold" Then she remembered that she hadn't said her name, "I'm Mina by the way." Mina tried not to notice all the people staring at her and Ruby.

"If you're hungry I can fix you something to eat," Ruby offered taking in the woman before her. Her skin was deathly white, yet perfect in its complexion, and her eyes blazed an inhuman green that reminded her of an emerald burning in the flame of a candle.

"I… uhhh…. I don't eat." Mina fumbled feeling self conscious for the first time. It had been a long time since she had been around so many warm, live, people. "To eat food you have to be alive… and… well… I'm not really alive anymore." She rambled lacing her fingers together.

Ruby placed her hands over Mina's asking, "Then what do you eat?" She didn't miss the way her eyes flicked to the side of Ruby's neck and then her hands disappeared off the counter and into her lap. "Oh," Ruby stepped back resisting the urge to cover her neck.

"Yeah, I drink blood and on occasion red wine." Mina fiddled with the button hole on her jacket. "Victor went to the hospital to get me blood so I don't hurt anyone."

"I'm sure you won't," Ruby said stepping back to the counter. "I know what it's like to be afraid of hurting people."

"Of course she won't." Victor said. He had stood back watching Ruby talk to Mina for a few seconds before coming forward. "Now, Mina this blood isn't fresh, it's been stored until it could be used again. We'll see how well you do with it." Though, Victor wasn't really sure how well she would stomach it from the face she was making. "Ruby, could you heat this up and pour it in a wine glass, please." Victor handed the wolf the medical bag of blood.

Mina felt her stomach roll at the thought of ingesting old blood. "I don't know how well this will work, Victor." She sighed, "I've always fed from the vein, but I'll try it." A strange beeping drew her attention. When Mina looked up, Ruby was coming back with the wine glass and the smell of blood invaded her senses. It was heaven, it was bliss, and it would end her hunger. She knew her eyes were glowing with power and a growl rumbled in her throat. Ina flash her hands shot out, took the wine glass, and brought it to her lips. Greedily she drank deep, draining the glass in a matter of seconds. Her lips were painted crimson. The warm blood settled in her stomach but it didn't energize her like she was used to. "It's not working." She sighed. "The blood is too old."

"Then feed on me," Ruby suggested gaining the attention of everyone in the room. She didn't know what had made her offer, but she felt it was the right thing to do. If she could help Mina and keep her from hurting someone, Ruby might be able to pay back all that she had done in taking Peter's life and Gus. "I can help you. I'm a wolf."

Mina shook her head, "No, Ruby you don't know what you're offering. I could lose control and kill you." It was petty and low to try and frighten the wolf, but Mina feared what would happen to her should she actually ever kill someone. She had managed to avoid having that type of blood on her hands. "I'm sorry Ruby, but I can't let you offer your neck to me. Not right now, not when I am so hungry, not when I could kill." She closed her eyes and let the shame wash over her. Then, she felt the warmth of Ruby's hand on her arm. Looking at the wolf, she saw a knowing smile and understanding in the other woman's gaze.

**EARLY MORNING:**

**JUST BEFORE DAWN**

Mina had slipped away from Victor when he had succumbed to sleep. She still hadn't gotten that change of clothes and was eager to get out of the clothes. Out and about in the night she let her senses take in all the sights and the sounds that normal humans missed. Mina was able to follow the scent Jefferson left behind. She moved through the night unseen until she came to a large mansion. Up on the porch she tried the door knob and found it unlocked. Stepping quietly inside, she heard two heart beats. One was slow, telling her that someone was sleeping and the other was slightly elevated. Then the sound of pacing caught her attention. Moving with speed up the stairs she came into a large opulent bedroom where Hatter stood in front of a huge wardrobe. "Hatter?" Mina asked and made him jump. "Sorry."

With his heart beating wildly out of control from being startled by Mina he said, "I couldn't decide what you would have wanted to wear." Jefferson thought that was why she was here. He stepped aside motioning to all the clothes. "Take what you want."

Mina slipped the wet jacket off her shoulders letting it pool at her feet as she walked towards the wardrobe. Next came the buckles keeping her bodice hooked to her torso. Without having to ask him, Hatter came to release the middle hooks she couldn't reach. Soon, it too fell away from her body. Mina put her foot on the thin bench at the end of the bed to undo the laces of her boots that were laced all the way up past her knees. All the while she was aware of Jefferson watching her movements with avid interest. Mina made a great show out of removing her boots. Taking turns to drop them over her shoulders. Then came her black silk shirt. It was ruined from the blood she had taken from Victor. Mina slowly pulled it over her head, slowly exposed the long line of her back to Jefferson. The fabric of her she gathered up her long mass of her curly midnight locks to expose the mark of the Dracule, an ornate dragon with its wings spread and fire coming out of it mouth, in between her shoulder blades. Mina dropped her shirt to the floor and then felt his hands on her hips.

"You know," Jefferson whispered raggedly, "A lady should be modest." He teased her. Mina was always kind hearted but she had a wicked side to her when she chose to explore it. Right now, he could tell, she was choosing to be naughty. Of course it was mainly due to the fact that her hunger hadn't been sated completely. The primal side of her that demanded blood as payment would force her to feed and it was better for everyone if she fed on someone she knew, someone she had tasted before.

"You're right," Mina purred, "A lady should be modest." She turned in Jefferson's embrace pressing herself tight in against him. Her lips sought his, sought the warmth of his body. He was willing and brought his arms around her letting her ravish his mouth. Jefferson even growled when her fangs scraped his bottom lip. She took a step towards the bed but didn't have the chance to take another. Jefferson's hands came down to the back of her leather clad thighs and picked her up. She eagerly wrapped her legs around him while they continued to kiss. "Let… me… feed… from… you…" She gasped between kisses.

Jefferson knew what she wanted and he was more than willing to give it to her. The backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed causing him to sit abruptly on the overly stuffed bed. They broke the kiss and chuckled. She was naked from the waist up and he was still fully clothed, but this was not about sex. It was about blood and she desired his. Mina slid off his lap to let him situate himself in the center of the bed. Then he motioned for her to come to him. He was eager to once again feel the bite of a vampire. It was more addicting than traveling between worlds.

Mina growled low in her chest climbing up on the bed. She settled herself over Jefferson's waist, her hands going to the black scarf he wore. Teasingly she tugged it free and then saw a scar that went from ear to ear, only she had a sick feeling that the scar encompassed his whole neck, "Dear lord, Jefferson…."

His haze abated and Jefferson took the scarf from her putting it back around his neck, "Not from the neck." He didn't want her to stop. Jefferson took her hands and placed them over the buttons of his vest. She caught on. Then, one by one, the buttons popped open. Mina pushed the tough material aside so she could go at the buttons of his shirt. Hastily she freed them. Under the light of the crescent moon his bare skin shimmered in the moon light. Jefferson gasped from the anticipation of her fangs sinking deep into his flesh. "Do it…" He moaned.

Mina let her hunger have free reign over her mind. Stretching out between his legs she felt his hardness pressed in against her abdomen as she set her lips over his left nipple, right above his heart. She let her tongue swirl around the straining bud before she dragged her fangs down hard enough to scour his flesh leaving red welts. His heart beat out of control; she could taste his pulse dancing on the tip of her tongue. Mina made sure to count his breaths. One. Two. Three. On his fourth breath in Mina sank her fangs in right above his nipple. The blood flowed into her mouth bringing the slight hint of magic with it. With her tongue she swirled around his hardened nipple again while she drank him down. Mina arched her back rubbing her stomach over the steel of his manhood so he got as much pleasure from this feeding as she was being nourished. As she sucked deep on the two puncture wounds Mina rubbed against him causing enough friction. Over and over she did this while listening to him moaning in pure male pleasure.

Jefferson sank his fingers into Mina's hair arching his back at the feeling of her hungry mouth at his chest. His mind was overwhelmed with so many different sensations. Her fangs had hurt, but then she started toying with his nipple while flexing her stomach muscles over his firm member that he didn't know what to feel at one time. "Oh, gods…" Jefferson moaned loudly. "Take as much as you need." He gasped tightening his hold on Mina's hair. She nodded as best as she was able without sinking her fangs back into his chest.

Mina knew she had to stop soon, but Jefferson tasted so good. His blood reminded her of the summer sun when she had been human. He tasted wild and uninhibited. Jefferson was addicting. Sucking he last bit of blood she dared Mina forced herself back where she pricked the tip of her finger and rubbed her blood over the two small puncture wounds healing them completely. His blood painted his chest just as her breasts were covered red. Jefferson lay against the mound of pillows, his chest heaving up and down. From his memories she knew there was a wash room attached to the bedroom. Her feet carried her to the bathroom where she soaked a black wash cloth and cleaned the blood off of her chest. Mina wrung the cloth out seeing the bloody water run down the drain. She wet the cloth again cleaning out the rest of the blood so she could take it out to Jefferson and clean his blood up while he regained his strength.

Jefferson's head was still processing everything that had just happened when he felt the warmth wet cloth against his chest. He opened his eyes to see Mina cleaning the blood off of him. Jefferson hadn't realized that she had taken so much. "That was amazing." He smiled brushing one of her curls out of her face. "You haven't lost your touch, Mina." She backed off the bed; her eye adverted, and went back into the bathroom. Jefferson followed her. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"You let me feed on you while your daughter was in this house." Mina looked at herself once again in the mirror almost sick at the sight of herself. The child could have come in at any time to see a vampire feeding on her father. "I can't believe…" She trailed off not knowing what to add to that.

Jefferson turned Mina to face him, "You fed on me while you had a husband." He stated. "My daughter sleeps through the night. She sleeps so soundly that not even a stampede of ogre's could wake her." Jefferson brought his hands up and cupped her face, "You needed this and I wanted to help." He noticed that a red tint had come to her cheeks. She had certainly fed well. It was enough to make her seem alive; her chest even rose and fell as she took in air that she didn't need.

Mina brought her hands up and pushed his ruined bloody clothes off of his shoulders and even took the scarf from around his neck again. Rapidly his blood memories were fading and she wanted to know what had happened to him. "How did you come by such an angry scar?" She asked dropping the scarf so she could trace the pink line with her index finger.

Jefferson sighed placing his hands on her waist again, rubbing his thumbs over the edge of her leather pants, "I got trapped in Wonderland." He said. "I was tricked by Regina, through no fault of my own, and the Queen of Hearts caught me; she beheaded me but I didn't die." Mina leaned into him and kissed the closest section of his scar. Her lips were warm just as the rest of her body would be for hours to come.

Mina pulled back, "I'm sorry that happened to you." She had memories of a long ago era were men were brutally killed with pikes. That had been her husband's doing from a time when he had been a monster, a killer consumed with blood and madness and sadness. "If there is anything I can do…"

Jefferson covered her mouth, "You can feed on me when you need to." He said with a euphoric smile. "Now, you must dress because I am sure Victor will want you close until he is sure you'll acclimate to this world well enough." Jefferson winked dragging Mina back out to the bedroom. As she stared at the clothes his fingers busied themselves with undoing the laces of her pants. He rolled them down her long legs and helped her to step out of them. "By tomorrow night these clothes will be cleaned and you can change to once again feel like yourself." Jefferson left her alone.

Mina picked out another pair of leather pants, a crimson silk shirt, and a vest small enough to be skin tight on her so that it would hold her breasts in place until she had her corset returned. She pulled the pants on, buttoned them, and pulled the zipper up. Mina made sure to pick the smallest clothes as she could so they would be tight on her slender frame. Her build had always been lithe and elfin thin. Each button closed covering more and more of her pale skin. Then it came time for the vest. Slipping it on, she fixed the buttons and pulled the laces as tight as she could on the either side. She took in her appearance and noticed that her hair didn't look right half up and half down with this new look of hers. Mina pulled free the multitude of tiny clips holding her half her mass of curls up away from her face. The locks tumbled down over her shoulders and now she looked more like she belonged here. She went to sit on the bench where she once again laced her boots up. The shoes Jefferson had didn't appeal to her.

Rather than wait for Jefferson to return, Mina slipped from his house so he didn't have to entertain her anymore. She knew he was tired but he had been fighting to stay awake so long as she was there. This way, he would see her note on the mirror and then he would smile before lying down to get some sleep. It's not like she wouldn't see him again. In a flash of movement Mina made it back to the town just as the sun was rising. At first she wasn't worried; she was safe guarded against the sun thanks to her husband and his gypsy descendants, but then a terrible pain seared along her jaw, her hand, and the triangle of her chest that was exposed from the shirt she wore. Hissing in pain Mina disappeared through the first door she came to. She didn't have time to marvel at the library as more sun light filtered through the windows. Mina sped through the book shelves until she came to a corner with just enough darkness to keep the sun off of her. She had to huddle in close to the wall as her skin healed instantly. "Brilliant!" She shouted knocking the back of her head against the hard wall.

Belle had gotten up early so she could do more cleaning in the library. It was her hope that she could have the doors open by next week, but that looked less and less likely. She was just pulling on one of Ruby's borrowed flannel shirts she used for cleaning when she heard the door open and a muffled voice fill the silence. Leaving her shoes off, Belle padded on silent feet down the stairs and into the still dark library. What she saw shocked her. A pale beautiful woman was huddled in a dark corner keeping out of the sunlight as much as she could. "Are you ok?" Belle asked going over, compassion filled her.

Mina heard the footsteps coming down the stairs and thanked whatever god was listening that she hadn't fought Jefferson when he offered her his blood. A young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes appeared looking concerned. "No, I'm not. The sun has me trapped." Mina answered honestly. "I'm new here and well I don't get along with the sun very well." Knowing that it would hurt, Mina needed to demonstrate what she meant. She stuck her hand into a ray of light where the skin began to burn and sizzle. Mina pulled her arm back into the dark and laughed out of futility. "I'm stuck in this corner unless you know someone who can wield magic."

Belle came closer as the other woman's skin had started to burn. "I do know someone but I don't know if he could help or if he wants to." She replied. Belle wasn't sure that Rumpelstiltskin would help even if she asked after she had practically threatened him to stop using magic. Their relationship was complicated on a good day. "If you give me ten minutes I can bring him here." She offered.

Mina looked up with gratitude, "Thank you." She whispered hugging her knees closer to her chest trying to keep away from the sunlight. The other girl backed away and headed for the front door. Mina had no other choice but to listen to her footsteps and then the front door opened and then closed. Until the kind hearted, kind eyed, young woman came back Mina was stuck hiding from the sun. There was the small part of her that feared the woman wouldn't come back.

Belle made her way down the street and over to Rumple's shop. She felt back for having to go to him, but at the same time she was determined to bring help to someone she had promised it to. Belle peeked in the window and saw him standing there behind one of the counters seamlessly lost in thought as he stared at their chipped cup. Tentatively she knocked on the glass pane gaining his attention. He smiled at her and waved her inside. "Here we go," Belle sighed painting a gentle smile on her face.

Rumplestiltskin was surprised to see Belle knocking on his door, it was pleasant. The bell over the door jingled signaling her coming into his shop. He grabbed his cane and stepped out from behind the counter making sure first that the cup was safely on the glass counter, "What can I do for you?" He asked.

"I didn't want to come here, to ask to do…" Belle fumbled, "I don't want to put you in this position…" She covered her mouth with her hands. Her words were coming out wrong and she wasn't making sense. He came to her and put his left hand on her shoulder. Instantly Belle calmed and she was able to speak. "There is this woman in the library and she needs help; magical help. I hate to ask you to do this considering I…"

"Sweetheart, it's alright. If you need my help, then it's yours; always and completely yours." Rumplestiltskin said. He would do anything for Belle no matter what she asked. "Let's go and see what I can do for her." He smiled waiting for Belle to lead the way. Then she threw her arms over his shoulders. "What is it?" He asked.

"Thank you," Belle whispered. She stepped back and smiled at him. "I know I'm not being consistent, asking you to stop, and then being in a spot where you had to use magic, then coming here and asking you to use magic…" Belle trailed off and then shook her head.

Rumplestiltskin stepped to the door and then offered Belle his hand, "Come on."

Back at the library Mina tried to regulate her breathing. It was true she didn't need it, but it helped to give her something to do while she waited for the girl to come back. Mina was trying to keep her breathing in and out and very slow but the more she thought about being trapped inside all day was drawing her attention away from her breathing. Then she heard footsteps, two sets, one was normal and wearing heels, and the other set was limping. "Are you back?!" she called out.

"Yes, we're back." Her voice echoed on the walls.

"Did you bring your friend?!" Mina angled her head trying to see the woman who said she would help but sunlight cut across her cheek. She hissed in pain and huddled further into the corner, she was quickly running out of darkness to cower in. "I really hope he can help."

"Oh I can dearie," Rumpelstiltskin stepped around the corner and was mildly shocked to see the woman from last night staring up at him. "Well, now, this is surprising."

Mina whispered, "Its you. You were there… last night…. What?"

"Yeah, so I was." He crouched down as best he could and said, "Now, it comes to my attention that you need my help." Rumple held out his hand, offering it to her, "I'm Rumplestiltskin. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself."

"I'm Mina," She looked to the other woman, "And you." Mina felt the sun creeping closer.

"I'm Belle." Belle crouched next to Rumple and saw the burn marks on Mina's face more clearly. "What can we do to help you?"

"I need a magical kick start." Mina started to unbutton her vest and then her shirt, "I hope your both aren't shy." She slid the vest off and avoided the sun as best she could. Then she stopped, "I should give the origin of my sun protection." Mina moved to the left just a little. Another ray of light was crept closer. "The man who made me what I am imparted a certain gypsy protection on my skin. When the sun shines on me molten gold markings appear on my wrists and track all the way to my temple. Since I am in another world I think the magic here is different and I need the marks enchanted again, but your magic must touch my skin."


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

"What is it you want me to do exactly?" Gold asked. He wasn't sure he should really help this woman after seeing what she had done to Victor, though having someone like her owe him a favor could come in handy.

Mina could see the wheels turning in his mind as to what to do with her. It made her smile, "How much magic do you have?" She asked.

"Oh, I have plenty of power dearie." Gold answered letting some of his power fill his voice.

"And also, your magic would have to touch my skin. That's how it works." Mina saw the flash of irritation cross through Belle's and she realized that she had over stepped her bounds. She tried a different tact, this time addressing Belle. "I'm sorry to have to ask this of someone you care about, but I assure he only has to run his hands up my arms, along my neck, and up to my temple." Mina schooled her features into a contrite apologetic look. "I can't really tell you how much I would like NOT to be trapped inside all day." She put emphasis on the word 'not'.

"You asked for help, and I said I would help you." Belle smiled feeling oddly at ease with this woman around. There was something about her that was soothing, friendly. She just hoped she could stand to watch Rumple putting his hands on the new arrival. "I hope this works."

"Me too," Mina smiled undoing another button. She could feel the tension filling the room and decided to try and pull her arms out of the sleeves without having to take her shirt off. Looking at Rumplestiltskin she commented, "Let's just hope your boyfriend is as powerful as he claims." He only glared at her as she slipped her left arm free. Mina held her hand out to him, "You have to start at the back of my hand and work your way up." Mina had seen this done before; she didn't need to watch. Instead she looked at Belle while out of her peripheral she saw a purple haze envelope the man's hand. It drew her attention back to him. His hand touched hers and there was so much warmth bordering on painful as his magic poured into her skin unlocking the daylight marks making them blaze molten gold in her pale skin.

Belle noticed the shift in Mina. She could tell the woman was in pain but hiding it. Moving to her side Belle took Mina's free hand holding tight. "Grip my hand if you need to." She offered. The other woman just nodded increasing the grip of her hand slightly but Belle could tell that she was still holding back. "You won't hurt me, if that's what you're worried about. I'm stronger than I look." But Mina said nothing and Belle watched transfixed as the markings appeared.

Gold funneled all of his considerable power into bringing out the dormant marks sealed into her skin. However she had come to this land it had taken large amounts of power to bring her here. Whatever it had been had knocked her out of magical alignment to protect her from the sun. His hand moved up to her elbow where he hit a block, wall of sorts. Rumple threw more power against it, imagined it crumbling before him. This was truly a magical challenge and sad to say that he was enjoying flexing his power. Rumple opened the flood gates to his power, letting it swirl around him, channeling it into his hands. More of the marks appeared. With greater ease his hand moved up her arm, the side of her neck and to her temple.

Belle watched Gold drop his hand and take a deep breath. He had had his eyes closed, concentrating, but when he opened them she saw swirling pools of eerie amber where the soulful brown had been. "Rumple? Are you alright?" She asked. He nodded and yanked Mina's hand out into the sun. No burns appeared.

Mina had a moment to fear the sun would scar her skin, but when he golden marks appeared there was no pain. She laughed at the sight of them. "You are a miracle worker." Mina grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"Now, before I take care of your other side, there is the small matter of payment dearie." Gold hadn't meant for his other voice to come out, but it was harder to control now that his power was fully unlocked. "Since you're new here, I know you have nothing of value."

"Rumple…" Belle started to speak but Mina cut her off.

"No, Belle, it's alright." Mina looked to Rumplestiltskin, "I asked for your help and now I must pay the price. What do you want from me?" She asked trying not to look at her boots. "As for value, I wouldn't say I have nothing." Mina informed him.

"I'll name your payment at a later date." Gold held out his hand for her right arm watching as Mina slipped the sleeve from her arm. This time she was careful not to get it in the sunlight. This time it was easier for him to bring out the marks, to sync them to this lands wild magic. "There you go dearie, all done." He cackled feeling the madness of the Dark One rising higher and higher in his mind. If he waited too long he wouldn't be able to shut down the flow of magic.

Belle moved from Mina's side to go to Rumple. He had his back to her and she could tell that he was fighting to lock his power back down. Gently she reached out putting her hands on his shoulders where she felt minute tremors running though him. He was fighting so hard. "You can do this." Belle whispered stepping closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him to help him center himself. Rumple had told Belle that she grounded him, that she reminded him of the man he wanted to be. "Come back."

Rumple latched onto what warmth and love he could feel pouring out from Belle for him. He needed it as a way to shore up the magic, to pull it back and put it under lock and key. It was hard, but his True Love was there and he used her to put the Dark One in chains again. Lately his former persona had been testing the bonds of Gold's self control, trying and trying to break free. Gold wouldn't let that happen because he wanted to keep Belle with him. Now she was here by his side, helping him. The love he felt from her helped to lock the last of the chains in place. Gold opened his eyes seeing his reflection just as his eyes turned from the eerie amber back to the dark brown. He breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Mina stood up feeling better as she fixed her shirt and put her vest back on. She watched Belle with Rumpelstiltskin. When she first saw them, there was a rift between them, but now it seemed to disappear as she held him and yet Mina could still sense the fracture between them. There was so much love between them it had Mina wondering what had happened to separate them. Maybe that was why she was here, to help a couple in the same place as she had been with her love. For now, she would leave them alone. Quietly Mina disappeared from the Library and out to the town during the day light.

**LATER IN THE AFTERNOON:**

Mina had spent her day in the forest running through the trees until she had felt the first stirrings of her hunger hit her and she had to go in search of food. She was inevitably drawn to the hospital where, from the blood memories she gained from Victor, she knew he worked here as a Doctor. Going through the automatic doors the first wave of so many heart beats washed over her, knocking her back a few steps. Mina closed her eyes and stopped breathing. It would help fight back he hunger. If she couldn't scent the fresh blood then she wouldn't hunger for it.

Victor had seen Mina come in through the ER doors. No doubt she was here looking for him or for blood. "Mina!" He called out to her and she turned to him with a smile. This morning when he had woken he had found her gone with a note on the pillow saying she was out exploring and judging by her clothes she had gone to see Hatter. Victor waved her over so he could get her out of the way of temptation. When he had arrived for his shift this morning he had found Prince James waiting for him. They had reached an understanding that Victor would keep Mina under control and keep her from hurting anyone.

Mina had the feeling that she was about to get scolded for being out and about while Victor slept. She knew the dangers of being the only vampire in town, but she also knew that she could take care of herself. Mina was stronger and faster and capable of incapacitating anyone who tried to hurt her. "Victor, I know I shouldn't have left, but my clothes were still wet." Mina said with an apologetic smile that she knew would calm his acerbic tongue towards her. "Jefferson promised me dry clothes."

Victor sighed, grasping Mina's shoulders. He often viewed the 200 year old vampire as a sister when she smiled at him like that. "Mina, these people believe in pitch forks and torches. I don't want anything to happen to you." He hadn't told her this, but the last time trouble had come to their realm her husband had entrusted Mina's safety to him. At that time it seemed the Count, the last Dracule, was going to his death. "While you're in this land, I'm kind of responsible for you."

Mina grinned, "I know, but I wasn't wondering around. I went to see Jefferson." She admitted. "I fed from him, then I got caught by the sun being left with a nasty burn, and I had to make a deal with Rumplestiltskin to give my daylight marks a magical kick start." She showed him the backs of her hands. "Apparently they were out of sync with this new land." Mina shrugged.

"You made a deal with Gold?" Victor asked. This was the sort of thing he wanted to avoid.

"Victor, I didn't have a choice." Mina snapped. "I nearly burned in the first light of dawn. It was either him or hide in a dark corner all day." She stepped back from him. "I'd rather make the deal." Mina faked a sigh, heaving her shoulders while she tried not to breathe in. It was bad enough that she could feel every single heart beat pulsing along her skin she didn't need the taste of blood dancing on her tongue right now. "I have one trick up my sleeve should I need to use it." She promised.

"I don't want to fight with you." He said quickly. Victor offered her his left hand, "Alright, but let me take you somewhere. I think I solved your feeding problem." He mentioned changing the subject. Victor knew that if he argued with Mina then he would end up losing and she would be mad at him for days. The last argument they had had was 28 years ago just before the curse plucked him from their world. "About the last time we spoke," Victor muttered, "I'm sorry for the cruel things I said to you." He had been in the wrong and he knew it.

"Its ok little brother," Mina had forgiven him long ago. "I forgave you years ago." She replied following him around the corner where they stopped at the Coma Ward. "What are we doing here?" She asked not that she wasn't thankful for being able to feed, but feeding off of sick people wasn't much better than feeding on the old blood he had given her last night.

"These people are in comas with barely any hope of waking up." Victor informed Mina. "I figured until you get used to things here that you could feed on them. They're not sick, they're just asleep." He pushed open the door and checked for any of the nurses who were on staff in this ward. They weren't at the desk which meant they were in the patient's rooms. "Come on." Victor motioned to Mina. He took her to the first door and saw that the Nurses had already been there.

Mina stepped inside the room after Victor focusing her gaze on the man in the bed. She felt sorrow for this man all alone with no one to be with him. "What's his name?" Mina asked. Sometimes her compassion got the better of her. She took the vacant chair by his bed and took his hand for a moment. Silently she thanked him for the blood she was about to take even though she knew he couldn't hear her or even react to what would happen.

"His name is Aaron and he suffered a severe head trauma five years ago." Victor answered knowing that she would want to know what caused him to be in the coma. "We tried waking him up but his mind has shut down in a protective mode. There is still so much we don't know."

"Will it hurt him?" Mina asked. She didn't like inflicting pain on people. "Will he be aware of what's happening?" Gently she squeezed his hand hoping he could somehow feel it.

"No, he won't be aware." Victor said hooking the chart back on the foot of the bed. Seeing any of the coma patients reminded him of his brother and all the work he still had yet to complete. "You can feed on him without worry."

Mina needed no further encouragement. She lengthened her fangs and gently sank them home in the crook of the man's arm letting his blood spill into her mouth. Time seemed to stop at that moment the more blood she took and with it the last memories the man had made before his accident. She could recall the details of the crash, the feeling of noting being able to move, and the gentle slide in oblivion where he was trapped inside his own mind. Still, all of that did not keep her from feeding.

**GOLD'S SHOP:**

In town, at Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop, Belle sat with Rumple as he starred at the wooden work bench. He had been quiet for the last two hours and Belle was starting to worry. Though, his silence also gave her time to think about things, about if she could be with him even as he wielded magic. This time he had used because she had asked him and Belle felt horrible about it. As soon as his truly dark side tried to come into the light Rumple had beaten it back. He had regained control and was once again the man she knew; that man she loved even though logic and common sense told her to run as fast as she could.

"Belle," Rumple said, "I don't want you to think this, me nearly losing control, was because you asked me to use magic." He turned to her absolving her of the guilt he knew she was feeling. Belle had separated herself from him because of his addiction to magic. "I chose to help. I chose to plunge myself into that dark place to help someone you promised." Gently he brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

"I shouldn't have asked, but…" Belle sighed tightening her hold on his hand. She wanted to badly to put aside her distrust of his magic but she knew she couldn't. Every time she tried his words came back to haunt her, '_It's quite simple really. My power means more to me than you_.' He had been so cruel and she knew he was lying but still those words had wounded her deeply.

"I told you, I will do anything you ask of me if I can." Gold said kissing her forehead. For right now they needed a change of topic. The conversation of him and magic was a sore subject that neither of them had healed from the last time. "Now that I'm somewhat in control, would you care to have breakfast with me?"

"I would love to." Belle grinned thankful he changed the subject. She was too exhausted to even entertain another bout of debating him and his use of magic. Gold stood up and offered her his arm. She giggled like she had back at the castle and took his offered arm. Warmth infused her like it never had before. "Are we going to be ok?" She asked before they left his shop.

Gold smiled, "Yes, we'll be fine and once I have my son back, we can move on." He promised. It had always been his intention to give up magic once he found his son. But, with Belle, wanting her as fiercely as he did, he knew that he would have to give up the magic sooner rather than later. Rumple wanted her to know how hard he was fighting to stay the man she wanted him to be, but the addiction was ever present in his mind and the whispering voice of the Dark One was always in his ear. He wanted to be a normal man for her but he wasn't sure if he could ever go back to who he used to be.

Belle knew she should be happy at his words, but a little sliver of guilt still nagged at her that he was promising this to her. Shouldn't she love him no matter what even if he still had magic? When she had lived with him at the Dark Castle, Belle knew he used magic, but she had never seen him use until coming to this world. Why was she so bothered? Was it because of his addiction? Or was it because she didn't know how hard he was fighting, not truly? Not wanting her thoughts to show on her face, Belle smiled warmly at him until she could sort through all that she was feeling.

**GRANNY'S:**

Jefferson had some time to kill before he went to get Grace from school and then to get Mina's clothes from the dry cleaners. Lazily he sipped at his cup of tea idly looking around. It was nice being free from the home Regina had made him a prisoner of for 28 years. He was finally able to walk about in the day light, breathe fresh air, and raise his daughter again. Having Grace home had done wonders for his mood. And then there was Mina. She had shown up out of nowhere bringing her own magic to this world. Whenever he was around her he was instantly at ease. It was some sort of magic Mina had.

"You are thinking very hard."

Jefferson turned and there she was; Mina. Her lips were red, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were blazing with green fire set against glowing gold marks. "You've fed." He said in a hushed whisper. It was nice to see her out in the sun with the marks blazing against her skin. Gently he reached out and brushed aside some of her hair to see them better. Mina just smiled at him.

Mina smiled sitting next to him. "I had to," Her smile faltered. "It wasn't like feeding on you." She admitted. Between Victor and Jefferson, Mina had always preferred the Hatter whenever he had traveled to her world to trade. Jefferson; the portal jumper. He had once enticed her to travel with him, but she would never have left her husband behind.

"Well, at least I know I'm your favorite." He teased drawing another smile from her.

"You always taste good to me." Mina chuckled. She was slowly finding her footing here in this world. Then she noticed Jefferson look at the clock. "Running late for very important date?" She teased him.

Jefferson groaned when Mina had said that. A very annoying white rabbit recited that constantly, "I hate Wonderland." Then he looked at Mina, "Actually I'm going to pick up Grace from school. Would you care to go with me?" Maybe it was foolish to offer that to her, but he was one of the few faces she knew. Mina needed someone other than Dr. Frankenstein to be around.

Mina was about to answer when she caught sight of Belle outside walking along the sidewalk. "Actually, umm… how about I find you later and I'll meet your daughter then." She suggested. Without waiting for him to answer, Mina kissed his cheek and scrambled off the bar stool to hurry outside. She ran to catch up with Belle but slowed before she collided with the kind soul who had helped her this morning. "Belle, I'm glad I caught up to you."

"Mina," Belle stopped and grinned warmly, "I didn't see you." It was true. She had been lost in her own mind thinking about her and Rumplestiltskin. "How are you doing?" Belle asked seeing a hint of the marks under her hair and on the back of her hands.

"I'm good, better now that I don't have to worry about being a pile of ashes in the day light." Mina joked, but it went over Belle's head. "Any way I wanted to thank you for all that you did this morning; you and your boyfriend." Mina reached out and touched Belle's shoulder. "It's been a long time since a stranger has been kind to me. Thank you."

"I know what it's like not to have a lot of friends." Belle could relate to Mina. "I'm practically a stranger in this town myself. The only people I know are Rumple, Ruby, Granny, and David." She thought of her father then, but that wound was still too raw. He had tried to make her forget who she was. No matter what her father had done she never thought him capable of that in a hundred years.

"If you want to talk, I'm a very good listener." Mina offered. "I get the sense that you do need to unburden yourself to someone who is a stranger to everyone." She reached out, placed her hand on Belle's bare shoulder feeling a slight shudder run through her. "Do you want to talk?"

Belle nodded her head not knowing why, but she knew she could trust Mina. This stranger, this woman somehow knew exactly what she was going through. "How do you know?" Belle wanted to know, she needed to know. She had been wanting to talk to someone for days about what she should do about Rumpelstiltskin, but people in this town didn't exactly like the man she was in love with.

"I know what it is to love a man who is so steeped in darkness that you're never sure he'll find his way back to the light," Mina spoke of her love, of her maker, and of her husband Dracula. "The man I'm married to is the same man who turned me into this… creature… who craves blood."

Belle didn't know how to react to what Mina had just told her. They were practically strangers and she was telling her such things. Still, Belle trusted her. "How do you love a man like that?" She asked trying to keep her voice even. If Mina was still married to the same man who had done such terrible things to her, then there could be hope for her and Rumple. At least she hoped so.

"I love him as he is." Mina spoke with sincerity. "I love the way he makes me feel. I love that he's given me this life and opened the world for me. He's shown me such wonders and," Mina looking towards the sun, "He has shown me horrors as well. But I love him still. I know that he is a man who has done terrible things but he is also a man who loves me beyond all reason."

"You don't wonder what type of man he would be if you…" Belle stopped.

"Belle, do you love Rumplestiltskin?" Mina asked.

"Yes," Belle whispered, "And it breaks my heart to see what I do to him."

"What do you mean?" Mina wanted to help any way that she could. "Has he hurt you in some way?"

"No, he would never, not intentionally," Belle answered vehemently. "I asked, well practically threatened, him to stop using magic even after he brought it here to this town. At the time I didn't understand why he needed it." She explained.

Mina took Belle's hand and led her across the street to where the benches were. They sat together and Mina asked, "Do you know now why he needs magic?" There was some deep sense of sorrow to Rumpelstiltskin when she had seen him this morning.

"I know why," Belle folded her hands in her lap looking around at the people who roamed the street taking an evening stroll. "But his magic is killing us." She held tight to that even though she was starting to doubt it.

"Do you really believe that?" Mina read the reservation in the way Belle was sitting. She could tell the lovesick woman didn't know what to believe when it came to the man she loved. Mina had been that was as well. "I believed once that I could change Dracula, my husband." She offered. The memory was painful to recall.

Belle turned to Mina, "What happened?" She was hoping for some sort of clarity, anything that could help her make sense of the right path she and Rumple should be on.

"It wasn't long after I was turned that I spiraled out of control. I hated what I was, thought I made a mistake." Mina scoffed. "When I was human I had a fiancé, a life with friends and a family I adored, but then I saw him. He was a Dark Prince with such sad eyes. He was a man who defied death to find his beloved again; me. On the night that I died he wanted to stop, to keep me human, but it was my choice and I wanted to be with him more than I wanted to breathe, more than I wanted my heart to keep beating." Mina wiped away a bloody tear when she recalled the night she was born to darkness.

"Here," Belle pulled free a delicate lace handkerchief and offered it to her. "So, he still turned you?" She asked wanting to hear more of the story. Whether she wanted to admit it or not this tale was helping her to make up her mind. Belle loved Rumplestiltskin more than she ever would another man and twice he had tried to let her go but she had come back to him. She truly wanted to make it work. Maybe she needed to see things from his perspective, to truly understand the hold magic had over him.

Mina wiped away her tears, "Yes. He still turned me because I wanted it. The night I rose from my grave he was there waiting for me and he offered me a single black rose as a welcome into this new life. But it wasn't until I had to feed that truly understood what I had done, what I had given up." Mina looked at the back of her hand; the marks were fading as the sun began to set. "He told me that I would have to kill to survive. My body relied on the fresh blood of humans and if I wasn't careful I would lose control and massacre an entire village before I would even know what was happening. I felt sick after hearing that, so sick that I refused to eat and I nearly died for real." Mina sighed stopping her story to gather her thoughts, to push back the still gnawing wave of guilt at leaving her human life behind.

Belle was hanging on every word, "What happened? You can't stop there," She said in a rush. Mina turned to her and smiled with fresh, bloody, tear tracks falling down her cheeks. "Please…"

"My love came to me weeks later; at that point I was starving and would have eaten rats if it meant I could have blood." Mina shook her head. "But he had brought me this frightened young girl about 17 years old and I don't know how I did it, but I fed from her without killing her." Mina remembered gaining the girls gaze, lulling her into a false sense of serenity that would allow her the freedom to feed from a willing victim. "After I was done, he killed her, right in front of me."

"What did you do?" Belle was still so transfixed by the tale even thought he story had taken a bloody turn of events. She felt sorry that a young girl had to die.

"In my grief over the girl I attacked him. It's such a blur in my memory, but what I do remember is that I fed from him. I took not only his blood but his memories. He was the first true undead and he no one to teach him. My love had to find a way to survive. For him, his survival was killing. For centuries he believed he had to kill to live."

"Did you try to stop him from killing?" Belle inquired.

"For months I tried to tell him there was another way, a way for him not to kill, but my insistence, my arguing nearly tore us apart. He accused me of learning nothing from his memories, for how he had lived. I was killing us by not accepting all of him." Mina explained finally making her point.

"You can accept the fact that he kills?" Belle was horrified. How could she turn a blind eye to Rumple's magic when it could potentially be used to hurt someone, or kill someone?

"Yes, because that is who he is, but when he is with me, the man he is… is just a man." Mina answered. "To truly love someone you have to love all of them, not just their soul or their heart. You have to take the good with the bad." Then, Mina had an idea. "Let me show you something."

Belle sucked in an apprehensive breath, "Show me what?" She asked wondering what she truly had gotten herself into.

"Look at me." Mina said and Belle did locking her eyes with her. The next second Belle was falling under her compulsion, "Can you feel my influence?" Mina asked taking Belle's hands in hers.

"Yes," Belle answered slowly.

"Good, then I am going to take you back into my past to show you what I tried telling you." Mina tightened her hands on Belle's recalling the day she truly understood what Dracula had tried giving up for her.

"_I will not kill, Draga!" A man shouted from where he sat in the center of an ornate stone room. Different dragons adorned the walls. _

_Belle looked around and saw Mina next to her, holding her hands, "Where are we?"_

"_We're in my memories." Mina said motioning to the room they were in, "This is my home and this is the day I stopped being a naïve little vampire."_

"_If you will my lord, your wife needs to stop polluting your mind with her childish ways. She is killing you."_

"_Hold your tongue! That woman is my wife and I love her more than anything!" Dracula defended passionately, weakly _

"_She will destroy us!" Draga argued._

"_Mina is the one GOOD thing in my life. If she does not want me to kill… THEN I WILL NOT!" Dracula pushed himself out of his throne to tower over Draga._

"_You kill to live. That is what you taught me!" Draga shouted in return. "My lord… please…" He snapped his fingers and a woman was brought in. she was terrified._

"_What's happening?" Belle asked desperately needing to understand._

"_The man on bended knee is Draga, my husbands most trusted friend." Mina turned and pointed to the stone balcony, "Up there is where I'm hiding. I'm listening to all of this." She looked back to Belle, "They are arguing because our land was on the brink of war, our Lord was not strong enough to protect us because of me. I nearly killed us. On this day I knew that I had to let go to be the person I am now, to be with the man I love. For my husband to continue living he had to kill, to take every last drop of blood from his victims. It was how he was born."_

_Dracula broke in that moment. He went to the woman, grabbed her by the throat, hauling her in close, and sank his teeth into her neck. The woman screamed but they were soon cut off._

"_I forced him to this. On this night he was once more the killer I had tried to stop him from being."_

"_I don't want to see any more." Belle barely held back her tears._

When Belle opened her eyes they were still on the park bench. They had never left. "Am I being naive?" She needed to know.

"I think you have a certain idea about who he should be." Mina gently wiped away a tear sliding down Belle's cheek. "Men like him can't fit into a box. They need room and they space to be who they are. Just love him and life will be so much more."

"How do you know so much for never having known us at all?" Belle wondered.

Mina could have answered 'Because I drank Jefferson's blood and I have a rough idea of who everyone is.' But Mina decided against it. In truth she recognized herself in Belle. She was a troubled young woman trying to navigate turbulent waters that love always caused while still trying to remain true to herself and be in love. "Because I recognize a lost little girl when I see one. Us lost little girls have to stick together." Mina smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T+

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

Mina watched from where she still sat on the bench as Belle practically ran down the street to catch up with Rumplestiltskin. He looked shocked while Belle smiling and stumbling through what she was trying to say. Mina could have listened in should she chose, but that was rude and she was anything but that. She was content to watch and smile to herself. As long as she was seemingly trapped in this world she might as well help a kindred soul find happiness despite all the darkness. Mina had a feeling that once Belle settled, accepted Rumplestiltskin for all that he was she would be a great woman with a long future ahead of her. Then her attention wavered and was drawn to a young boy and the blonde man from the night before.

David Nolan saw the mysterious stranger talking with Belle and they seemed to be making a connection. Then Belle hurried off where he saw her talking to Gold. They looked happy. When he looked back to the beautiful stranger she was watching Belle and smiling. That alone drew David over. After all she was sitting on one of the benches that past by his apartment where he and Henry were staying until they found a way to bring Snow and Emma home. "Good evening." David greeted putting his hand on Henry's shoulder.

Mina turned her attention to the handsome blond, "Hi." She stood up tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I don't believe we've been introduced officially. I'm Mina." She held out her hand and smiled a dazzling smile at him. Dracula always trembled at the sight of her smile.

"I'm David, the Sheriff of this town." He took her hand feeling the warmth in her palm, but knowing that it wouldn't be there for much longer. "How are you finding Storybrooke?" He asked.

Mina looked down at the young boy, "I like it, though I was warned that people tend to take up pitch forks and torches should they encounter someone different." She looked at the fading sun, "I'm endeavoring to avoid that." Then she crouched down to be eye level with the boy. "What's your name?"

"I'm Henry." Henry had been interested in meeting the woman who had appeared last night when he had been watching the storm. "Are you really a vampire?" He asked.

Mina smiled showing her fangs, "I am, but don't worry, I'm not here to hurt anyone. That's the last thing I would ever want to do." She promised sensing the boy was more adept at reading people than he let on.

"Cool," Henry felt his jaw drop. He knew dwarves, he knew Rumplestiltskin, and he knew the Evil Queen, but he had never met an actual vampire before.

Mina rolled her gaze up to look at David, "Don't worry, I promise not to hurt anyone." She vowed and stood up. Then something occurred to her; a gift she could give the boy. From Victor's memories she knew that his grandmother and mother were missing. Once again she sat down and pried the heel of her boot open where half of a medallion had been hidden. "Here," She held it out to Henry. "This medallion is only half of a key that unlocks a door way back to your world. It's called an Ouroboros; the snake that eats its own tail. It's only a shard, but I'm sure, in time, the other piece will surface soon."

"Thanks!" Henry exclaimed taking the piece from the vampire. This was a first time he really had hope that Emma and Mary-Margaret would come home. "I can feel the magic in this metal."

"I hope your family comes home to you both." Mina said. She desperately wanted to go home, back to the castle where her love was no doubt tearing the kingdom asunder looking for her.

"I hope you get to go home too." Henry said putting the medallion in his pocket.

"Thank you." Mina smiled. "I hope so too." Though, there was this gnawing feeling in the pit her stomach that she wouldn't be going home; her home would be coming to her. She continued to smile as David and Henry walked off.

Up the street Belle hurried to catch up with Rumpelstiltskin as he was heading home for the evening. "Rumple, wait!" She called out. He turned to her to wait so Belle could catch up to him. Belle stopped and took a moment to gather her thoughts. She wanted to get all of her thoughts out while he talk with Mina was still fresh in her mind.

"Belle, are you alright?" He asked surprised to see her twice in one day. She had come to him this morning asking for his help and then after he sensed a shift in her. Belle was drawing away from him again and he didn't know how to fix it.

"I want us to work." Belle said speaking from her heart. Her talk with Mina had made a few things clear for her. "I want to know you as you are and not as the person I think you should be. I want to know everything about you," A tentative smile crossed her lips at the joy she could see in Rumple's eyes. She could tell he wasn't sure he wanted to believe what she was saying. Deep down she knew she had been running away from him the moment he unleashed that wraith on Regina.

"Belle…" Rumpelstiltskin didn't know what to say. This was too good to be true even for him. Belle was innocent and he didn't want the stain of his magic to tarnish her soul. "My magic is evil, I am…" She covered his mouth, but he took her hand in his. "Belle, I don't want this darkness to corrupt you as I have corrupted so many others."

"You won't," Belle stated. "I love you so much that sometimes it hurts." She looked down and gathered her thoughts. She had so many things that she wanted to say to him. There were so many things that she wanted to ask him. But she didn't know where to start. "I want to love all of you, not just bits and pieces."

"What brought this on?" Rumple asked, not that he wasn't happy Belle was asking to know more about his life. She had thought she knew him, but she only knew a small sad part of him that was still severely scarred from his life as a human. "If you start down this path Belle, you can't stop no matter what I tell you." He warned her. There were true horrors in his past that he suffered and true horrors he had committed. Rumple was afraid that if he confessed them to her, that Belle would run further from him.

"I know," Belle nodded. Then she repeated what Mina had told her, "I'm ready to know you because men like you can't fit in a box. I can't keep expecting you to a man when you are so much more than that. I bet you see the world in a different way." Her hand rested over his heart, "I want to know you as you really are." She repeated.

"Do you want to come home with me?" Rumple asked hopeful that Belle would say yes. "We'll start that conversation." He knew it was time to come clean to Belle, to tell her everything. Rumple had always had the intention of doing so, just not this soon. He hadn't thought she was ready until right now. Though, there was the nagging sense that Belle had a small push in this direction.

"I would like that." Belle linked her arm with his feeling for the first time in weeks that her life was moving forward with him and not just at a standstill. She could actually see a future where they were together, where they were happy, and where their love flourished no matter what.

From where Mina stood, she smiled from ear to ear watching Belle and Rumplestiltskin walk off together arm in arm. It felt good to help a lovelorn young woman find some stability in a relationship she wanted to work. Mina had been the same way once and now she lived and loved the man she was always meant to be with. Then a tingling raced along her spine. Someone was watching her.

"I see you've gotten into meddling in people's love lives."

Mina turned and there was Victor. He was smirking at her and offering her his arm. "It's not meddling," She defended slyly; "It's helping." Once more she looked up the street to try and see Belle and Rumplestiltskin, but they were too far away for even her supernatural eyes to see. Mina threaded her arm though his and they set off back to his house.

"Not everyone can be like you and Dracula in having the perfect relationship." Victor scolded gently. "But I can see the allure in helping Belle. She and Rumplestiltskin have been having problems for weeks." He informed his vampiric adopted sister leaning into her to kiss the side of her head. "You have a big heart."

"While you have a big brain," She teased poking him in his left shoulder. Victor laughed; taking his arms from hers he wrapped it around her shoulder and hugged her from the side. Mina, in turn, wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't worry little brother; I will only meddle with Belle and Rumplestiltskin." She slurred and stumbled. Her energy was running severely low even though she had fed earlier in the day. Mina needed sleep.

Victor tightened his hold on Mina, "Are you ok?" He could tell she was running down. Even vampires needed rest and Victor had no idea how long Mina had been awake before coming here. "How long has it been since you slept?" Victor turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Instead of her normal blazing emerald green eyes, they had gone to a blood red crimson. Without wasting time Victor drew her arm across his shoulder and wrapped his left arm around her waist to give her some support so they walked to his car.

**DR. WHALE'S HOUSE:**

The sun was sinking fast past the horizon as Victor pulled into the drive of his two story house that coincidentally rested down the street from Mr. Gold. He pushed that thought away going around to help Mina out of the car. Right now he didn't understand what was happening to her. She should be getting stronger with the setting sun, not weaker. Though, it could be the fact that she might not have slept last night since she had gone to see Jefferson. Vampires needed rest like every other creature. "How long has it been since you slept?" Victor asked helping her up the steps. He fished his keys out and opened the door for her.

Mina could hardly think, hardly understand what Victor was saying. She was so tired that her body was shutting down. Soon enough she would truly be dead until her body had had enough time to recharge, to process all the blood she had taken in. Her mouth wouldn't work for her to form words and her head just lulled foreword. The one good thing about this was that Mina didn't require a coffin to sleep in, not like before when she was younger. Now she could rouse herself from the grave and she was powerful enough to make her heart beat should she chose to fake being a human. Victor was taking her up the steps to where his bedroom was. It was the only room in the house with black out curtains on the windows. "I'm….so… tired." Mina slurred falling into the embrace of the bed. The last rays of light faded from the sky as Mina died.

The dead don't dream. They never had before, at least Mina hadn't, but she couldn't forget what they felt like. It felt like she was walking through fog until the image took form. She was back at home, in the castle, only it wasn't the castle she was used to. It was the castle from the time her love had nearly lost his life. The halls were barren, the stone floors were cold, and the wind howled through the open windows. Mina was actually afraid. Then she heard booted footfalls and she knew the confident stride anywhere. She turned and there he was, down the hall, in his crimson dragon armor that was tailor made for his slim waist, his lean chest, and his perfect shoulders. "My love, you've found me." Mina choked out.

Dracula knew he was dreaming but this dream was too sweet to wake from. His wife was before him in a shear crimson gown with a plunging neck line on front and no back to the dress until it rested just below the dimples on her waist. His fingers itched to pull free the tie from the back of her neck, to expose the pale perfection of her skin, but he didn't. Dracula was content to stare at her. "Mina," He sighed. "I've crossed oceans of time to find you. I will never let you go." It was a vow he had made once and it was a vow he willingly made again. Carefully he walked towards her hungry to have her in his arms. He needed to feel her, to taste her lips, to look into her eyes. Every step brought him closer to her, closer to the woman he had loved for centuries. She would be the woman he would love for the rest of time. Then he was before her. Mina was pale and perfect and his whole world. She threw her arms around him holding him close.

Mina let her body, her soul, her dead heart shudder from just his touch. Dracula was her love, her sire, her king, and her reason for being. It had been one day since she had seen him, but in truth, it felt like a lifetime had slipped by without him. "I miss you so much." She confessed burying her face into his long dark brown hair, letting the strands tickle her nose. "I wish you were with me." She sobbed. For two centuries they had never spent day apart and now she was in another realm where the rules of life were very different and the people were incredibly strange. Mina just wanted a small taste of home; she wanted her husband in her arms.

"Tell me where you are." Dracula ran his hands up and down Mina's back. "If I can come to you I will." He promised. It had only been a single day and night but his whole being cried out for her return. His mind was beginning to fracture, to splinter, and the darkness was taking over again. For two centuries Mina had been by his side, healing him, bringing him back to the man he had been before she had died the first time. Now all of that was coming undone. "I need to know how to come and find you." Dracula said.

"I don't know where I am. I'm in another realm." Mina pulled back to look at him. "It was storming and I was out…. Ummm… Astrid was sick and she needed medicine. I went to help her and then…. I don't know…" Mina let go of him and paced. "My love I don't know how I got to this place." Tears were flowing down her cheeks; watery blood. "All I remember is there was a storm."

Dracula cupped her face wiping away her tears. "Do not worry. I survived 500 years until I could find you again and it was pure hell. I will not let a different realm separate us." He kissed her then, his fangs biting into her bottom lip. Just because she couldn't remember didn't mean her blood didn't hold the key to his coming to get her. Her unique blood washed over his tongue and memories of her being taken from his land flooded his mind. He would have to concoct another great storm just to get to her. Pulling back, his lips painted crimson, "I am coming for you." He promised.

Mina bolted up in bed dragging in breath that she didn't need. It was more of a reflex nothing more. Her dream had been so real, so intense, and her lips hurt. Mina scrambled out of bed to go to the bathroom to look in a mirror on to remember that she didn't have a reflection. She growled loudly and then went in search of Victor. He had eyes and he could see her. "Victor!" She shouted but got no response. Mina sped down stairs where the sun was blazing bright and full outside. She could have sworn that it had just turned night. How long was she in the dream realm? "A clock… I… uhhh… need a clock." Mina went from room to room but found no clock. Then, in the kitchen there was a note attached to a bit of plastic that she knew to be a cell phone. The note attached read, "Call me. Love, little brother," Mina shook her head and smiled. She used the knowledge she had gained from Victor and Jefferson to operate the small device.

"_Hello?_"

"Little brother, what time is it?" Mina asked. "You are seriously lacking some clocks." She remarked snidely. What kind of person didn't have a way to tell the time? Honestly! Mina shook her head resisting the urge to laugh.

"_It's 2pm. You slept a long time. I couldn't wake you to tell you I got called into the hospital._"

"Oh," Mina rocked back and forth on her heels. "What do I do now? I'm kind of hungry." She admitted. Where was a bottle of red wine when she needed it? Is she had that then she could stave off the worst of the hungry until he thought of another way to feed her.

"_Call Jefferson. I can't sneak you into the coma ward as the man you fed on; he woke up."_

"What? How is that possible? Does he remember?" That was her worst fear. Someone remembering that she fed on them. If she had to then she would go the hospital and apologize to the man for taking his blood without his permission.

"_No, it's all a haze for him right now, but the important thing is, he woke up shortly after you fed from him. I believe it was the small amount of blood you used to close the fang marks which contributed to this._"

Mina felt slightly ill at the thought of what Victor must be thinking. "Don't even think about it." She warned. "I'm not going to feed on all your coma patients. I won't do it." Mina stated.

"_Mina…_"

"No!" She shouted bringing the cell phone away from her ear to hit the end button. Mina dropped the phone on the table and left the house. There was no way she was going to call Jefferson, Ruby was strictly off limits because the blood of a wolf would bring about more trouble as her animal to command was a wolf through the blood tie she shared with her husband. That left her to her own devices. It wasn't until she hit town that she caught the scent of strong blood. Mina ran her tongue over her fangs and followed the enticing scent until she could put a face to it. Soon, mina caught up to Regina; the woman who had called her a thing. It would be wrong, it would go against everything she held dear, but she was terribly hungry and Mina knew to listen to that primal urge; to feed.

Regina wasn't paying attention to what she was doing; she was too busy researching the Ouroboros that the vampire had given to her son. What could have motivated that creature to talk to her boy? It was infuriating that that thing wasn't locked up. Then she was stopped by someone in her path. Looking up she saw the vampire and then a strange feeling fell over her as the woman smiled wickedly. She knew there was some sort of magic at work, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the vampire. "What are you doing?" Regina's voice sounded far away, sounded drugged. She felt wobbly on her feet.

"You want to come with me now." Mina let her voice fill with power, with guile, with enticement. She let her true vampiric aura bleed through making her appealing, making her irresistible. "I'm not going to hurt you," She assured her food. "But, it will be so worth it to follow me," Mina held out her hand as Dracula had done to her once. Regina placed her hand in hers. "Good." She smiled. "Where can we go?"

Regina didn't know what was making her feel this way, but she liked it. "We'll go to the Mayor's office. It's vacant." The vampire motioned for her to lead the way. Regina did so eagerly. She couldn't wait to see what was going to happen, which was strange, but she hadn't felt this good in a long while. It was the middle of the afternoon, people were out and about on the street and they could see them. Regina didn't care. She knew she should, but she didn't. This feeling was addicting. No cares. No worries. There was this pressure of another mind controlling her. It should scare her, make hr angry, make her want to fight. Only, Regina couldn't muster any sort of will power to free herself. She didn't want to.

Mina followed Regina careful to keep her attention focused on the magical being who held her hand. She wanted to keep this woman subdued, docile. The sting of being called a thing still burned through her, but that was not enough for her to want to cause this woman serious harm. It wasn't in her nature to hurt people. She couldn't. Then the City Hall was in sight. It looked almost dead and that suited her just fine. Regina was leading hr through the doors into an office that read MAYOR. "Kinky…" Mina mumbled as Regina opened the door to a black and white office that was elegant and very tasteful. Then she spied the large mahogany desk. A wicked idea formed in her mind. "Go sit on the desk and hike up your skirt." Her voice came out as a wicked, sensual, purr.

Regina did as she was told for the first time in many many years but she found that she liked the sensual way the vampire Mina had ordered her. It made her heart flutter in anticipation. She slipped up on the edge of the desk, crossing one ankle over the other and sitting to the side so her knees touched. Regina found it hard to breathe, hard to concentrate as the other woman came to her. Mina stood right in front of her as if Regina hadn't seen her move. Then her lips hovered over Regina's stealing the air from her lungs that she had managed to suck in. mina was kissing her thoroughly, passionately, so intense Regina had her hands coming up to tangle in Mina's hair.

Mina pulled back from kissing Regina adding more power to her voice, "You're going to enjoy this so much." She traced her fingers down the side of Regina's face teasingly and on down to her waist, and then under her skirt where she felt the silky glide of hose. Mina worked her hands up until she touched the band and she could pull it down to expose Regina's gloriously tempting skin. And Mina knew exactly where she wanted to feed. Dropping down to her knees, Mina pulled off Regina's high heels and took off the hose leaving it on the floor under the desk. Then she put her lips to the inside of Regina's right knee kissing up her thigh. Inch by inch she tasted the magic, could feel it dancing on her tongue until her tongue felt the pulse of the artery in Regina's thigh. Wickedly Mina drew her fangs down a small patch of skin to make her shudder.

Regina had to grab the edge of her desk as she was falling deeper and deeper in an abyss of wicked delight that she had never known before. Then the feel of fang pushed her over the edge. She was hopelessly lost. "Do…. It…" She moaned. Lips touched her skin, then tongue, and finally teeth. There was the sharp initial pain of the bite, but then immense pleasure flooded her system; so much so that she nearly climaxed right there. "Oh God!" She shouted falling back to the desk, her back arching as the mysterious creature fed from her deeply. Regina had never felt anything as good as this vampire's wicked, dark, kiss. "Yes… yes…" Regina moaned over and over between breathy gasps as she fought to take in vital oxygen.

Mina fed from Regina choosing to give as much pleasure as she could rather than take the poor woman's ravaged memories. She could feel the deep sorrow, the twisted hate that filled the young Queen. There was so much black in her soul that Mina felt sorry for her. It was why she funneled so much pleasure into her bite, into the feeding. She wanted Regina to remember what this felt like as she took her blood, drank down the magic in her veins. She concentrated on feeling every moment of bliss Dracula had ever given her, pouring it into her bite so Regina felt it, so she climax hard and remember it. Then something caught her attention; two new heart beats and the call of a wolf, but she didn't want to stop. Regina tasted too good.

"Mina… stop!"

"Come on…. You have to stop!"

Hands grabbed her, pulling her away. At least she had enough sense to retract her fangs so she would do more damage to Regina. Rounding on who ever dared to interrupt her she saw Jefferson and Ruby. "You've got to be kidding me? What are you doing?" She questioned turning back to Regina. The woman was still thoroughly in the grips of her pleasurable bite. Gently she pricked her finger and rubbed a small amount of her blood over the two neat puncture wounds to heal them. Momentarily forgetting that Jefferson and Ruby were in the room, Mina hauled Regina up into a sitting position and gained the Queen's eyes again "Regina, I want you to remember this, only it's going to be as if this was a dream that you had last night. The next time you see me a spark of pleasure will race through you. Now, close your eyes and catch your breath. When you open them, you'll remember coming here for something you left behind but you didn't find it and you'll go about your day." Mina let her go with Regina closing her eyes. Turning back to her two companions she signaled them to be quiet so they could leave.

Outside Mina glared at Jefferson, "Why did you stop me?" She snarled only realizing that she had half fed from the Queen. Soon she would have to feed again and she didn't know from who. That thought worried her the most. Would she get so hungry as to feed on a random stranger? Mina couldn't feed on Jefferson again at least for a few days to give his body time to replenish and heel from her feeding last night. "I'm going to have to feed again sooner rather than later Jefferson."

"Then you feed on me." Jefferson stated. It was the least he could. She was trapped here and when he had the hate he could have sent her home, but it was destroyed because of Regina. "It's the least I could since you're stuck here." Jefferson admitted. "If I had my hat I could have tried to send you home."

Mina smiled lightly at that, "Thanks for the thought and I know I'm stuck and I'll find a way home but if I feed from you again and you die, that will haunt me for the rest of my life." She stepped to him cupping his face. "I couldn't do that to you Jefferson. You're a good friend and you taste divine." She teased.

"Then feed from me." Ruby offered again. She was curios as to know what a vampires bite felt like. "I'm stronger and I could handle whatever happens to me." There wasn't much she could do for people because she was wolf. Most of the town avoided her these days because of what King George had done to her; framing her for a murder she didn't commit.

"Ruby you don't know what you ask of me!" Mina shouted. "If I was to feed on you, I would enslave you. My husband gave me power over wolves. They would be mine to do with as I pleased. I cold never enslave someone; let alone a sweet innocent girl like you." She had come to stand in front of Ruby placing her hands on the wolf's shoulders. Ruby looked almost horrified, but also enticed. Mina could tell Rub wanted to belong. She was feeling out of place. "You'll find your place again." Mina whispered.

"But I want to help you," Ruby said fiercely and she wasn't entirely sure why. This woman had appeared last night with this strange aura about her. Everyone who stood near her couldn't help but be drawn to her. She was enigmatic, alluring, and had the air of danger around her. Ruby wanted to do what she could to help. It was the pull she had towards Mina.

"I know you do and you can't help it." Mina sighed. "Everyone I meet wants to help me. And if there is anything you can do, besides feeding, I will come to you first." She said and then an idea struck her. "Is there any sort of, "Mina used her memories from Jefferson, "Clubs around here? It's easier for me to find someone to feed on when there is a group dancing and giving themselves over to wild abandon."

Ruby thought about it for a second, "Yes there is. It's called The Cauldron. Some of the more magically inclined go there to have fun. In a few days there's going to be a big gathering and I'm invited. I can bring you."

"That would be fantastic Ruby," Mina nodded. "Thank you."


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T+

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

**LAST NIGHT:**

**RUMPLESTILTSKIN AND BELLE**

Belle watched Rumple walk inside the front door of his home as she regarded the thresh hold. She hadn't changed her mind; she was just preparing herself for what she was getting in to. His past was long, so many lives he had lived, and now he was going to tell her about them. Belle wanted to be brave, to be able to handle it, and she knew she could. She loved him. Taking a deep breath she stepped through the door going to Rumple's side. He took her hand and the warmth of his touch felt so right, so safe. "What do we do now?" Belle asked. She was hesitant to begin the conversation she knew they needed to have.

Rumplestiltskin smiled, bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. "I'll make us dinner and if you like, you can go up stairs and change." He offered and it was then he saw some of the tension leave her body. She was just as nervous as he was about the impending conversation they were going to have. The best place for him to start would be at the beginning, when he was human. Belle needed to know him as he was; when he was a coward scared of his own shadow. Smiling at her gently, Rumple motioned with his head to the stairs. Belle stole a quick kiss from him that made his heart swell with love for her. She raced up the stairs with Rumple calling after her, "I'll be in the kitchen!"

Ten minutes later Belle was back down stairs wearing a pair of Rumple's black silk sleep pants and a white camisole. Her hair was pulled back in a low pony tail. She leaned against the wall watching him standing at the stove moving food around in a skillet filling the kitchen with a divine smell that had her stomach growling. "Smells fantastic," Belle piped up gaining his attention. Rumple turned to her and smiled that gentle smile that had her going weak at the knees.

Rumple set aside the spatula to hold out his hand to Belle, "Dinner should be ready in a few minutes." He took her hand again pulling her in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her waist and rest his cheek against her temple. "I figured we could have breakfast again. I was craving an omelet." He tightened his hold for a second hugging her. "When I was human, I used to cook for my son Bae." Rumple mused. Cooking had been a release of sorts, a time for him to set the day aside.

Belle rested her arms over his being drawn in by his touch, by the sound of his voice, and by the smell of dinner. She had been fretting all day, worrying about what she had asked him to do for Mina; that she hadn't bothered to eat lunch at all. "In truth, I am starving. I sort of forgot to eat lunch." She confessed but then she fibbed, "I've been working so hard in the library, trying to get it ready." It wasn't until her talk with Mina, seeing her memories; that Belle finally took the step she needed and wanted to take. She wanted to know all about him; the good and the bad.

Rumple stepped away from Belle and she moved out of the way so he could serve up the omelet for them. Idly he asked, "How is the library coming?" Though, under her words he could sense there was more than she was telling him. Rumple let it go. There had been much he had kept from her in the days they were together. Tonight, and in the days to come, he was hoping to change that. He wanted her to know him. "I'm happy that you have the library to fill your days with." Rumple commented placing one plate on the center island for her and then he brought his over.

"There are so many books," Belle sighed in bliss. She loved to read. "Lately, I've been sitting around and reading when I should be working. They're just… there." Belle giggled and then took a bite of her food. The light fluffy eggs, the mix of cheddar cheese, and the chunks of ham and bacon tasted so good. Grasping her glass of ice tea Belle swallowed then chased it with a sip of her drink. "I want to thank you for what you did when you gave me the key."

"It was Ruby, who told me of you interest." Rumple replied, "Though, I think you knew that." He chuckled when she looked at him. She was surprised and that pleased him. Then he asked a question that he probably shouldn't, "When you came up to me this evening, was it because of Mina?" Rumple waited for her to speak.

Belle set down her fork and pushed her plate away from her, "Yes, I was talking with Mina this afternoon. She told me about her husband, about how he has done so many terrible things, and yet she loves him still. Strangely I pictured us in her tale." She said. "I know you have done things that could be construed as evil, but I love despite that." Belle set her hands, palm up, on the table between them. "I needed to talk to someone who wasn't from here, who didn't out right mistrust you because of who you are."

"She offered you her outside opinion?" Rumple asked keeping his voice neutral. He didn't want her to feel the need to hide anything from him just as he had hide things about his life from her. That had been a poor choice and he was paying the price for his now.

"Yes," Belle tapped the pads of her fingers on the table. "I chose to heed her words and not the words of my few friends because what she said made sense in ways I tried to deny because I'm naïve."

"Belle…" Rumplestiltskin was ready to argue with her but she cut him off.

"No, I am, and I realize that now." She held up her right hand to stop him from talking. "I'm trying to change you into this idea of a man that I think you should be, the kind of man that I could love completely and that's keeping me from seeing you as you are. It's keeping me from truly loving the man before me."

Rumplestiltskin felt his heart beat faster and faster. She was saying all the things he had wanted to hear fall from her lips. "I want to give up magic, I just…" He didn't know how to finish that declaration. How could he give up magic when it was ingrained into his soul now, when it flowed in his veins, and beat in time to his heart?

"Show me what it feels like," Belle slid off the stool and walked around the island to stand in front of him. "Show me how you feel." His hands slid up her arms to cup the side of her face where his thumbs caressed her cheeks. Even though she kept her eyes firmly locked with his she could see the purple glow around his hands and then she felt it, the rush, and the wave of feeling. Inside she felt so light, so weightless, and she felt she could do anything with just a thought. "Is this how you feel all the time?" She gasped bringing her hands up to close around his wrists keeping him against her.

Rumple dialed down the power slowly to bring Belle back to early gently. Magic was addictive and he was a slave to the need to use it every day. It had been a struggle not to cast small spells to prove to Belle that he didn't need his power, but he did. His magic had been a part of him for so long he didn't know what it would be like without it. "Yes, this is how I feel, what it feels like, and now you know why I can't stop." He answered drawing his hands away from her face letting the glow fade.

"Oh my god…" Belle had to fight to catch her breath. "That's… I don't know…" She was having trouble forming a coherent thought. The rapture of the small taste of magic she had gotten left her speechless. In and out she breathed trying to focus.

"I know," Rumple placed his hands on her waist pulling her to him so she stood between his parted knees. "When I was human, I could never hope to feel this good. I was always scared… even of my own shadow." He closed his eyes trying not to remember, but to have Belle understand he needed to remember. "I was the town coward and I accepted this." Rumple sighed still keeping his eyes closed. Then he felt her hands on his face drawing him in. His cheek rested over her heart and her arms draped over his shoulders rubbing up and down his back.

Belle fought back tears, "I never should have called you a coward," She kissed the top of his head holding him close. It seemed they were doing thing that inadvertently hurt the other without the intention of doing so. Her love was so tortured from his past and calling him a coward probably hadn't helped that. "I'm sorry…"

"No," Rumple pulled back clearing his throat, "You called me what I am. I told you Belle, I am a coward. I will take the easy way out every time." He admitted.

"You won't this time." Belle stated brushing his bangs away from his face. Lovingly Belle kissed his forehead. "Tell me about Bae." She stepped back from him and wiped away his silent tears. Belle had asked once before, but he hadn't answered her except to say that he had lost him.

Rumple drew in a ragged breath to steady himself. So many years had passed and yet taking about his son still made his heart break in sorrow and his soul twist from guilt. He cleared his throat, "After his mother… left… it was just Bae and me. I couldn't tell him that his mother left with pirates; that she left him without a second thought." Slowly a weight was being lifted from his shoulders as he talked to her. "I chose to tell him that his mother was dead."

"You lied to him?" Belle asked even though she knew he had been motivated out of love for his son and didn't want to hurt him anymore than he had to with the lie.

"I had to. Bae was eight at the time." Rumple fiddled with the tie holding the pants around Belle's hips. He needed something to do with his hands. "In that day and age, Bae knew about death, but I didn't think he could handle knowing that his mother just left him behind." Gold sighed, "I chose the lesser of two evils."

"You did the right thing," Belle said even though she knew he didn't need to hear it.

Gold felt his eyes fill with tears again as he looked to his right where a clock was mounted on the wall. It was already 10 pm. Time had slipped by unnoticed by him or Belle. Putting his hand on the edge of the island he levered himself up from the stool. "We should continue this in the morning." And then he added, "I'll sleep down here…"

"No you won't." Belle took his left hand while he grasped his cane in his right hand. "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." She said leading him to the stairs. Being without his arms around her at night was on the one thing Belle missed the most about being in this house. During the night she knew she was safe so long as Rumplestiltskin held her close to his chest and she could hear his heart beating.

They stood on the second floor landing with Rumplestiltskin trying so hard to keep his breathing calm and even. Belle had already done so much for him today that he hadn't had wanted to push things between them to this point. Of course he wanted to hold her in his arms as they slept side by side, but he was resigned to the fact that he wouldn't have that for a long while. Until tonight. Belle pushed open the door and then turned to him pulling him inside with her.

Belle let go of his hand so she could go to the bed where she sat on the edge watching him stand frozen. "It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." She reasoned with him. "I want you to hold me tonight, please…" Belle moved back to sit against the headboard where she brought her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around her shins waiting for him to move. She hoped she hadn't pushed this too far too soon.

Rumple nodded and loosened the knot of his tie as he walked to where the bed was. Slowly he pulled the deep purple cloth over his head and dropped it in the chair. Belle avidly watched him as he changed clothes. He would have thought her modesty would have forced her to turn her head away, but her gaze never wavered from him. Once he was changed he walked around to the left side of the bed, moving aside the covers, he stretched out and waited for Belle. She had always let him settle, find the right position for his bum leg before she was snuggle into his side. Thoroughly settled he reached out his arm to her.

Belle pushed down the other half of the covers to cuddle against his side before she pulled the blankets up over both of them. She sighed deeply feeling content, safe. Sleeping alone had been hard since she had gotten used to being in the same bed with him after such a short time. There were nights Belle woke alone in bed at the Inn wishing for him as she had suffered alone another of her terrible nightmares. Tonight would not be the case, tonight she would have him wrapped around her. Belle just hoped she didn't dream. "Talk to me as I drift off." Belle mumbled her body shutting down quickly. He didn't answer her. Angling her head up she saw that his eyes were shut and his face was relaxed in sleep. She smiled and snuggled into his side pulling the comforter up, tucking the edge under her chin so she was cocooned in warmth.

**THE NEXT AFTERNOON:**

**GOLD'S PAWN SHOP**

Gold was in a chipper mood. Last night he and Belle had spent talking about his past and he felt that part of his burden had been lifted. Rumple was skirting the topic of how he became the dark one until he was certain that he could that particular tale without shocking her or pushing her further from him. This morning they had spent talking some more until she had to head to the Library for more work and he to his shop. They were planning to meet up at lunch so they could spend more time together. Right now he was going through what life had been like when he was human how he had spun sheep wool so he could sell it and how he had been teaching Bae the same trade. She had smiled her small wry smile obviously remembering the time she had asked him why he spun so much during their time at the Castle. It was shortly after that, that he had caught her when she had fallen off the ladder. Thinking about it, he could still feel her in his arms. It brought a smile to his face. Just then the bell over his door jingled drawing his attention where Belle was walking through the door. "Is it time for lunch?" He asked closing his ledger.

"It was…" She put her hands on her hips trying to muster up anger, but failing, "Two hours ago." She had spent the first hour with Ruby and then the second hour back in the Library until she had finally made up her mind to come see him to find out what had kept him. Though, she shouldn't have been surprised. When he was in his shop he was lost in his own little world.

"What?" Gold looked at the clock and instantly his good mood dipped to guilt. "I'm so sorry sweetheart. I… uhhh… lost track of time thinking about you." He admitted coming to her with an apologetic smile plastered to his lips. "Forgive me."

"Of course," She kissed him quickly. "I had lunch with Ruby while we made plans for the weekend." Belle looked outside not knowing what drew her attention suddenly. She moved to the door with him close behind her. The sky grew dark with a storm quickly covering the small town with ominous grey clouds that threatened to pelt them with heavy rain drops.

Rumple got an eerie tingle up his spine. "This doesn't look good," A loud thunder clap promptly followed his statement making him and Belle jump from the force. It was almost the same type of storm that brought the vampire here. What other creatures would show up?

"It's just a storm," Belle said not entirely believing her words. Another thunder clap deafened the town making Belle step back against Rumple. Rain and a dark sky she could handle, but ever since she was a small child she had an irrational fear of thunder and lightning.

In town Mina stood with Jefferson and Ruby when she felt something coming; a familiar presence pressing against her mind. And then she knew it. It was her love. But how? She wondered. That had been just a dream. Or had it? Mina wasn't so sure now. Then, the sky turned deadly, turned dark and ominous. He was truly coming to her. "My love…" Mina whispered. She turned from Jefferson and Ruby to head up the street, back to the spot where she had appeared. More thunder and lightning, with them the sense of his arrival grew more and more cemented in her heart. Her love was truly coming to her. They were so loud, so bright, that each time she jumped feeling the force of the sound vibrate along her skin. Other people scurried in doors, but not her, never her. Mina wouldn't run from what was coming. She couldn't. Another loud clap of thunder and a bright blinding flash of lightning had Mina closing her eyes and covering her ears. When she opened them a man she knew all too well stood in the center of the square wearing custom tailored red dragon armor. If her heart was alive it would have skipped a beat at the sight of him.

Dracula appeared in the town he had seen in Mina's blood memories. Time in their realm slipped by at a different pace for them. For him, he had been months without her and his mind had been ravaged with madness in her absence. His dream of her had been the spark that had him searching for ways to come to her. Then he sensed her, felt her dark soul calling to him. He turned and there she was standing in the middle of the road watching him with wide eyes. It was he who took the first steps towards her feeling a power in this land he hadn't felt before. More so his dark powers were heightened. With every step he took he banished more and more of his armor. Instead he chose to wear a midnight blue button up shirt that was open, a pair of scarred leather pants that he had worn many times, and knee high boots that blended so well with his pants. "Mina," He muttered hardly believing that he was seeing her again. Closer and closer he drew to her wanting to feel her in his arms again so badly. If he could breathe then he would be dragging in ragged breaths.

Mina shook off her initial shock and forced her feet to move, to go to him. Each step she took brought her closer to him. "Oh, my love…" Mina could almost feel his hands sliding over her waist, she could almost taste his lips ravishing hers, and she could almost feel the strands of his dark lock twining around her fingers. As they closed the distance she could see that half of his hair had been pulled back into an intricate braid while the rest tumbled over his shoulder to frame his pale, dead, skin. He looked much as he had on the night he had turned her in Dr. Seward's quarters. Instantly she was back there the moment he stood in front of her like a dark god. Mina could hardly believe it. Even though, for her, a day and night had gone by she couldn't believe she had been without him so long. Tentatively Mina touched his exposed chest. When her hand touched his flesh she laughed. "You are real…" Years ago she had found that she had adopted his accent and now, with him before her, she was sounding like herself again.

Dracula brought his hands to her face, "My most precious life." His voice wavered as he gently caressed her cheeks. "Mina…" Her hands slid up his chest, over his shoulders, and up into the longer locks of his hair that weren't restrained by the braid while he dropped his hands down to her waist, and then he gripped the back of her thighs. With his great strength Dracula picked her up where she wrapped her legs around his hips. It was Mina who fused her mouth to his, her fangs scrapping the inside of his bottom lip. She ravished his mouth with such passion that it brought him to his knees. He could care less that the storm had vanished, that the sun rained down upon them, that people were watching them. His wife was in his arms. Dracula was with Mina once more. It was where he belonged. She tasted of sanity, of love, of his life. He was so happy that he was back with her, feeling her against him.

Back at Gold's shop, Belle and Rumplestiltskin watched as a man in red armor appeared in the center of town. Then he turned and started to walk towards someone while in a haze that looked like sand being blown away in the wind, the armor faded to be replaced by regular clothes. Gold could sense the cold chill of darkness emanating from the new arrival. It was the same feeling he got from Mina; the feel of death.

"That must be her husband." Belle muttered recognizing the man from Mina's memory, on this version had no beard. He was clean shaven. She wanted to see where he was headed. Leaving Rumple's arms, Belle stepped outside into the sunlight just in time to see Mina down the street in the arms of her husband and they were kissing passionately. "Oh…" She mouthed turning to head back inside only to nearly collide with Rumple.

"You know him?" Gold asked oddly drawn to the sight before him. He couldn't take his eyes off of the two people in the middle of the street. Even Belle turned back to watch them. Why couldn't he take his eyes from them? It was maddening.

"That's Dracula, her husband and the man who made her the vampire that she is." Belle answered watching the passion unfold in front of her eyes. She was almost swept up in it. The raw powerful emotion seemed to fill the air spilling out into immediate area. She watched transfixed as Dracula sank down to the pavement while still kissing Mina. Belle felt her chest rise and fall harshly and her skin tingle. One vampire was alluring; two would make for an explosive mix of forbidden desire. Belle forced herself to turn away, to turn and look at the man she loved. He took her hand to pull her back inside his shop where she went with him willingly.

Down the street Mina had to force her mouth away from him. She untangled her fingers from his hair and cupped his face, "How did you get here?" She asked breathlessly. Maybe, since he had gotten here, they could return home in the same manner when the time came. But she sensed that would not be the case from the look in her love's eyes. He was never really good at hiding the truth from her since she had become a creature of the night like him. "What is it?"

Dracula looked up into his wife's face, "I did not give Igor the time to devise a way back with out a great storm." He pulled aside his sleeve to show Mina a bracelet, "I am not sure how this works, but I think Victor can figure it out, if he's here." He said. "I could not wait a moment longer to try and be with you again." Dracula cupped her face again. "My life is darkness when I'm not with you."

Mina smiled, kissed him, and held him close. "Just as mine would be hell without you." It stung that she couldn't go home with him yet. Mina wanted to return to her world, the castle where she had lived for so many years. She wanted to go back to where the rules of the world she understood. "We'll get home soon enough. All that matters to me is that you're with me." She brushed her hands over his forehead and over the top of his head to cradle the back of his neck. "We can survive here until we find a way back to our world." Mina smiled lovingly. "Until then, I would like to introduce you to my two friends I made."

"Oh, is that so." Dracula got back to his feet with Mina still in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist. Now that he had her in his arms he couldn't put her down and he wouldn't even though he knew that Mina would prefer to walk. She was strong, she was independent, and she was all his. "I'm surprised you do not have the entire town wrapped around your little finger by now." He mused with a playful glint in his eyes. No one could refuse Mina once she put her mind to it.

"Give me a few days more." Mina joked enjoying the sound of his accent dancing over her senses. "You can put me down now." She said as they walked to the side walk where Jefferson and Ruby still stood. Mina only objected to being carried because she knew he expected it of her. In truth, right now, she was more than content to be carried by him. His touch was a drug more seductive that the pure sweet taste of blood. "But, I don't want you to." She kissed his forehead. Then suddenly she was put back on her feet. When she turned she was standing near Jefferson and Ruby. "Oh…" She smirked, "You remember the Mad Hatter?"

Dracula settled his gaze on the man he knew, "Ah, yes, Jefferson," He growled the name. "How good it is to see you again." Like the gentlemen he was, he offered his hand to Jefferson and the other man took it. "I understand that you fed my wife of your own free will."

"Yes, I did." Jefferson confirmed looking to Mina for some sort of signal that it was ok to talk about what happened between them last night. "When she came here she was starving and she needed a change of clothes, so I helped. I fed her." Jefferson clarified feeling like he was back in the Queen of Heart's court about to have his head taken off.

Dracula let go of Jefferson's hand. "Then I owe you a great debt." He said putting his arm around Mina's waist. "Thank you very much for feeding her." Because he was who he was, Dracula leaned down and kissing Mina on the forehead showing them how much he loved her.

Mina gained her husbands attention, "Then this lovely young woman is Ruby." She smiled warmly at her wolf friend. "She offered to fix me food and gave mea kind smile when I was all alone a few days ago." Mina told her husband. "Besides Jefferson and Victor, Ruby has been very kind to me."

"Ah," Dracula stepped from his wife's side taking Ruby's hand in his feeling the wild nature she tried to hide. "Yes, a wolf always befriends my wife. You are very special." In a sign of respect he brought her hand to his lips gently kissing her knuckles. Ruby reacted to his cold touch. "Forgive my dead skin; blood has not been on my mind lately." She took her hand back and stepped close to Jefferson. "You have nothing to fear little wolf, I will not drink blood in the middle of the day." He assured her.

Mina stepped in, "There are two other people I would like for you to meet." She could see Ruby was more than wary around her husband. The draw of power she knew the wolf could feel was beginning to scare her. Wolves showed a natural loyalty to her and her husband. But she refused to enforce such a metaphysical bond on Ruby. "Please?" Mina didn't want her husband to frighten Ruby anymore than she already was at the sight of her imposing Vampire Sire.

Dracula focused all his attention back to Mina, "Of course my love." He took her hand in his feeling the unique thrum of her skin pulse to life against his palm. "I'm intrigued as to what other kinds of friends you have made." Dracula smiled as they set off back down the street. It didn't pass his notice that people stared at him through parted blinds of shop windows. What sort of town had he ended up in? He just hoped that he could keep his bloody nature in check for Mina's sake. The way she held his hand, the way she leaned against him; it all told him that she liked this realm and liked these people.


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T+

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

**GOLD'S SHOP:**

Mina walked through the door of the pawn shop with Dracula behind her. At first glance there was no one around, but the sounds coming from the back room told her a different story and it made her choke back a laugh. She had the feeling it was because of her and her love. When she and the famous Count were together, passions ran very high in them and it seemed to infect others. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin may be the latest victims. Then Dracula's hands were sliding over her hips. Mina called out, "Belle!" The sounds stopped and she could hear nervous chuckles and the tell tale sound of clothing being fixed.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" Dracula purred in Mina's ears moving her from side to side in a gentle swaying motion. Even though he was eager to meet the young woman his wife was so taken with so quickly, he was more interested in being alone with her, in being husband and eternal wife. Dracula wanted to feel her lips on him, wanted to taste her blood, and he wanted to make love to her until hunger for blood drove them from the bed and out to hunt. "I can hear a bed calling to us." He teased nipping his fangs along the side of neck. If she still had a pulse it would be jumping in response to him, her skin would flush, and her breathing would grow ragged.

In the back room Gold smiled slyly at Belle as they fought to cool their rising lust had had come upon them suddenly. One more kiss. He took her lips in a fierce kiss that stole Belle's breath, which had her fingers digging into the front of his shirt where he could feel her nails scouring his skin. Rumple wanted more; he wanted to drink down her moans like they were a fine wine. This was because of Mina and the man Belle confirmed as Dracula. They had been so mesmerizing that Gold hadn't realized what had come over them until Mina called out to Belle. The passion died down to a simmer between them. Belle was blushing. "We should go out there before they decide to come looking for us." He chuckled brushing his knuckles down her cheek.

Belle felt the blush creep up her cheeks at hearing her name. She had been most content in Rumple's arms with his lips against her bringing all sorts of fantasies to her mind's eye. "Yes, we should." She agreed licking her lips tasting him one last time before she slid off the work bench with her skirt fall back to just above her knees. What had come over them? Was it because of Mina and Dracula, seeing them so passionate with each other? It could have been. Did that bother Belle? Not really she decided. Rumple took her hand leading her back through the curtain to the main part of the shop where the two vampires waited. The sight of them practically stole her breath. They looked alike, so perfectly matched for the other. Mina's long tumble of dark hair mingled with his. Her eyes blazed emerald green while his were a circle of blue fire.

Mina smiled at the sight of her friend while she forced herself to stop breathing. The scent of lingering lust in the hair mingled with the desire she had for her husband. She wanted Dracula to meet her few friends first, make introductions, then they could be alone. "Belle, Rumplestiltskin," She stepped away from his comforting embrace, "This is my husband, Dracula."

Rumplestiltskin fixed the mask he wore for the world in place at the sight of the dark imposing vampire in his shop. "Welcome to our quaint little town." He greeted keeping his place by Belle. Dracula exuded the same dark energy that Rumple did on occasion when he let the chains fall from around his powers. "You must be relieved to find your wife safe and sound."

Dracula scanned the man before him, Rumplestiltskin, taking his measure. The darkness in his soul nearly matched the aura of shadows surrounding the man with the cane. First things first, polite niceties were a must for gentlemen of any breed. "Yes, I am. She is my world." Dracula slipped his arm around Mina's waist. "And who is you fetching companion?" He asked.

Belle stepped forward, "I'm Belle." She answered offering her hand to him. Dracula pulled her close staring deeply into her eyes. She knew she should feel the beginnings of fear roil through her, but she didn't. Belle saw Dracula though Mina's eyes. She saw a man. In his fiery blue depths Belle could see the love he carried ingrained on his soul for Mina. "It's an honor to meet you."

"As it is you," Dracula replied letting go of her hand. He stepped from Mina and offered Belle a courtly bow. Straightening his posture he added, "My wife has taken a shine to you so quickly, and now I can see why." Dracula offered her a grin placing his hand over his dead heart. "Thank you for befriending her. It makes me worry when Mina has no one to talk to." Mina rolled her eyes at him and all he could do was laugh.

"Ignore him." Mina teased standing once again by Dracula's side as she slipped her arms around his waist pillowing her head on his chest. There was nothing more comforting in this world than having the man she loved for all eternity with her. Everything else could fall away when Mina looked into his eyes. "I wanted him to come here to meet you both." To Dracula she said, "Rumplestiltskin helped saved me from the sun. My marks were out of sync and he fixed it with his magic."

Dracula looked at Rumplestiltskin immediately. "I find myself in debt to yet another man. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you to my wife." As a gentleman he offered the other man his hand. "I hope no harm came to you as you were helping her." Rumplestiltskin placed his warm hand; his skin so alive was thrumming with heat, in Dracula's hand where the dead count felt the human flinch at the initial touch. Dracula squeezed his hand and then let go. "If there is anything I can do…"

"Not necessary," Gold said, "Your wife and I have yet to agree on payment for my services." He slid his gaze to Mina who didn't look at him.

"Then I will take her debt." Dracula announced. It was in his nature to ease the burden on his wife. He knew men like Rumplestiltskin; they always made the price higher than the person was willing to pay. There was no way he would let Mina fall victim to this man if he could help it.

"No," Mina argued, "It was my price to pay for his magic. I will honor my debt." She reasoned. "In this world Rumplestiltskin makes deals and the payment is of his choosing. So it I who must honor this debt," Mina hated the thought of being beholden to anyone, but if she hadn't asked for help then she would have been trapped.

"Always so honorable my love," Dracula crooned. "Then, what is your price?" He asked Rumplestiltskin. There was the small chance that the price Mina would have to pay would go beyond her sense of morals that she held tight to as a vampire. It was what he loved most about his wife.

"Simple," An idea struck him that included Belle as well. "All I ask in return is that your wife continues on being friends with my darling Belle." In their still forms he saw the small glimmer of relief wash through them. Beside him Belle looked away but she was not embarrassed. "Belle is very fond of Mina, I can tell." He spoke warmly.

"This is a price I can gladly pay." Mina smiled going to Belle and hugging her tightly remembering her friend's human frailty. Though, it needed to go without saying that she would remain friends with Belle. She could sense a deep kinship with her and see a similarity between her Dracula and Belle's Rumpelstiltskin. They were both woman who loved dark shrouded men.

Belle embraced Mina not at all surprised that Rumple would say such a thing. She was relieved as well that his price was something more than Mina would be willing to pay. Rumple was known for going to extremes. Right now, that knowledge didn't bother her. "Sorry about him." She whispered low enough for Mina to hear.

"Think nothing of it," Mina replied pulling back from Belle with a smile still dancing on her lips. "We'll be great friends, I know it," She chuckled keeping her place by Belle. Then, as she looked at Dracula, she could sense his rising hunger for blood. Soon she would have to get him somewhere he would be able to feed.

Dracula's gaze never wavered from Mina. She knew he was hungry. "If you will excuse us," He held his hand out to Mina, "I will have to find… some food." Dracula said without specifics. He wasn't sure how they would react to him saying outright that he needed blood to satiate his gnawing hunger.

"If you are looking for easy prey, try the jail." Rumple suggested. "There is a man there some people wouldn't mind if you fed on him." He shrugged as if he had just suggested a restaurant rather than a human. "He is King George and no one would mind… well almost no one."

"Is he an evil doer?" Dracula asked quickly. Rumpelstiltskin nodded. "Then it would be my pleasure. Evil doer's taste better." He mentioned idly grasping Mina's hand. "Thank you for the suggestion." To Belle he said, "Do not be angry with your man, he has helped me greatly." He inclined his head before he and Mina left.

Outside, in the sun, Dracula draped his arm over Mina's shoulder. "They seem so familiar." He muttered as they walked away from the shop. "I could sense a strange kinship with them though we have never met them before."

"I know I felt the same way when I first met Belle." Mina smiled to herself. "She reminded me of my human self, so lost and yet knowing exactly what she wants. Belle is still trapped by a sense of how she thinks he should be. I'm trying to help her see past that."

"If anyone can my love, then you will." Dracula kissed his wife's temple. Together they walked down the street much as they had once before when she had been human. They walked together through a crowded street not really caring where they were going or how long it would take them. He had been happy to just find her, to enjoy her company.

**STORYBROOKE HOSPITAL:**

Jefferson made his way to the hospital knowing that Victor was doing his rounds. He had to at least give his friend, if could even call Victor that, a heads up that the dead Count Dracula was now in Storybrooke. The hatter knew that once Mina was off somewhere that he would be receiving a personal visit from the Count and it wouldn't be entirely pleasant. Jefferson had the feeling there would be some violence involved. It made him crack his neck and run his finger over his scar in a nervous manner.

Victor had been standing by one of the windows watching the storm gather over the town. It looked to be the same type of storm that brought Mina to this land. Could her love truly found a way here? Who could have helped him? The only other man he knew of that could possibly help would have been Igor, his assistant. Tough, Victor doubted it. Then, when he turned back, he saw Jefferson motioning to him, and he knew his thoughts were true. Dracula was here. "Jefferson. What is it?" Victor asked, playing the part of ignorance.

"You more than likely figured this out, but incase, Dracula is here." Jefferson informed. "He will more than likely come looking for you." He warned. Victor could be a singled minded genius at times as was his quest to bring his brother back to life, but Victor didn't deserve to be blindsided by Dracula. "I get the feeling he will pay us a visit when Mina isn't around. Dracula already knows that she fed from me. I shudder to think what he'll do to me when he gets the whole image."

"Jefferson," Victor scoffed, "To vampires, sex and blood are practically the same thing. As long as mina only took your blood and you didn't," How could he put this, "Put your little head somewhere it didn't belong, he won't kill you. Strangle you a bit, but not kill you." Victor shrugged. Now that it was confirmed the No Life King was here, he was concerned what venomous words would be directed at him. Mina may have forgiven him for their fight, but he was sure Dracula had not. "Perhaps you should stay out of town for a few days until she can calm him down."

"Like that will happen." Jefferson snapped. "The minute he takes her blood he will find out what she's done here." Then it occurred to him. "Oh and I should tell you that Ruby and I stopped Mina from feeding on Regina." He shrugged running his left hand through his hair. "She made sure Regina wouldn't remember anything of it though. I had no idea she could compel others like Dracula could."

"This land, the magic Gold brought here, makes them stronger, makes their powers stronger. She will be able to do things that she couldn't have before." Victor said motioning Jefferson down the hall to where his office was. He was wary of continuing this conversation out in the open where other people ambled by able to over hear them. Victor didn't want them to get the idea to take up pitch forks and torches to go after Mina and Dracula. When faced with enemies the Count would get bloody.

**THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE:**

Mina went through the door first to occupy David as to give Dracula time to feed. Before she stepped inside she had made sure that her husband understood that he was not to kill not matter how sweet the blood tasted. Dracula smiled at her, nodded, and then kissed her forehead assuring her that he would not take life in this land. Blood was not the coin of the realm here. Magic was the real power here and it was helping to take the edge off their hunger. Inside the office, to her left, she saw the older man sitting on the bunk staring off into space. To her right in the glass office was David Nolan. It went against most of her morals, but she had to keep him occupied long enough. Rapping her knuckles on the door Mina inched inside his office. "Sheriff, I have a question." Mina unlocked the power restrictions on her abilities, filling the room with energy so David was trapped in her web of compulsion. Going to him she said, "You will only remember that I came here to ask about the orange boarder line and nothing more." Her voice was a soft as silk.

Dracula knew the moment he was in the clear to come into the room. Mina had subdued the human Sheriff so he would go unseen. For a moment he studied his wife as she held the blond human in thrall was too much to pass up. She exuded power and wielded it with a strong mind that no one could resist. Then, he turned his attention to the man in the jail cell. Dracula angled his head to the side, his long hair falling over his left shoulder. "So, you are King George. Interesting," Dracula mused feeling his fangs lengthen and the hunger rise. As Mina did her part he called to the darkness inside the human. He could taste it on the air bringing forth a deadly growl in his chest. At first the man shrank in fear but as Dracula's will exerted over him, the human King came to the bars. The man put his left arm through the space and Dracula rolled up the pristine white sleeve. There, the vein pulsed blue and tempting. Bringing the dethroned King's arm up, Dracula sank his sharp incisors into the crook of the man's arm feeling the first rush of blood, sweet and tangy, fill his mouth. Suddenly, clarity filled his mind bringing him back to the man Mina knew; the man she loves. He had to stop before his urge to kill the man took over. Forcing his mouth away, Dracula retracted his fangs breathing hard, and stumbled back away from the cell door.

Mina listened for Dracula's steps to retreat out of the room before she even dared to let David free of her intricate web. When she heard the door softly close Mina pulled back on her powerful will freeing the man sitting before her. Then she said, "So, I was wondering what is with the orange line just past the Storybrooke sign?" It's not like she needed to know the answer as she already had it because of Jefferson and Victor's memories, but she had to give David the memories of her inquiring about it.

"It's a boundary line for those of us trapped in this town." David answered. "Since you weren't cursed with us I doubt the barrier will take your memories from you should you try to cross over the line," For a few moments he felt as if he had been put on pause. He looked to the clock seeing more time had passed than he thought. How long had she really been here? "Though, I wouldn't put it to the test just in case." David advised shaking off the feeling. "Is there anything else I can tell you?"

"Not at all," Mina smiled. "Thank you." With a smile she hurried from the office and back outside to where Dracula was waiting for her. He stood in the sunlight with his head tilted up towards the sky keeping his eyes closed. Dracula stood bating in the sun knowing that it would not harm him. She was hypnotized by him as she always was; his beauty would never fade. "How do you feel?" Mina asked slowly.

Dracula turned his gaze to her with a contented smile, "I feel… amazing." He growled. "This town is magical and energizing." Holding out his hand to her, Dracula once again raised his face to the sky soaking in the sun though he knew it would do little to warm him. Only blood could do that. '_The blood is the life._' He had made that covenant so many years before and hadn't regretted it once. Dracula had his wife, his countess, his princess, and his Queen. Mina was his life. Her hand came into his and he pulled her into his embrace; her back to his chest letting the sun bathe them together while her daylight marks blazed to life. "My most precious life," Dracula repeated.

**GOLD'S SHOP:**

Gold tried not to watch Belle as she leaned against one of the display cases with her arms crossed over her chest. He could feel the tension swirling around her and irritation directed at him. "What have I done now?" He asked trying to keep his voice neutral. Belle started to tap her foot, "Belle, I can't fix what I've done if you don't talk to me." Gold set aside his pen and went to her. "Please…"

"Asking Mina to continue to be my friend," Belle said. "Did you think she would magically stop after you gave her what she wanted?" She asked dropping her arms putting her hands on her hips. The irritation was putting them back a few steps when she had tried to move forward. Belle knew Mina would remain her friend, but to have him ask that of her made Belle feel like a child who couldn't make her own friends.

"I thought it better than asking her to give me some of her healing blood." Gold replied leaning forward on the handle of his cane. The night she had arrived she had bitten Victor and when she stopped she had used her blood to heal the wounds she had inflicted upon him. It got him thinking. "Her blood would have been a better price for her to pay, but I thought that would horrify you." Then, like a gust of wind, her irritation and tension fled from her. "Don't be angry with me," He schooled his features into an apologetic mask.

"I'm sorry," Belle dropped her head. "Why would you want her blood?" She asked but then she knew the answer. His leg. He probably wanted it to use in some sort of concoction to heal his leg so he could walk without aide of the cane. Belle could over look the limp. Rumplestiltskin was more than the sum of his parts to her. She loved his heart, his soul, his voice, his kind eyes when he looked at her, the way he would smile just for her, and she was trying to love his magic.

"I think you know why." Gold sighed, "I wanted it for my leg. It… kills me… that I'm limping still with my powers returned. This frail human body is wearing me down." He admitted. It was going to be the truth between him and Belle from now on; only the truth. "You asked me this morning how I became the Dark One and I avoided answering because I wasn't sure how you would react, but I'll answer you now." Rumple moved to stand beside her, to lean on the display case. "In my village my son would have been taken away when he was fourteen to fight in the Ogre Wars. I didn't want Bae to know battle, to know how he would be haunted to take life, to see his fellow soldiers die. A beggar had told me of a way to control the former Dark One, so I devised a way to steal it."

Belle moved from where she was leaning to stand in front of Rumple. She wanted to look into his eyes as he told her about this painful moment in his past. "What happened?" She asked reaching out to cup his face so she could tilt his head back and make him look at her.

"As I was returning home the Dark One came upon me, he tricked me…" Rumple felt such great shame in that moment that he closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the look of abject horror on Belle's face when she found out his was a murderer. "I tried to use the ancient magic to control him, but it didn't work, and I… he…" Rumple shook his head as best he could with Belle's hands holding his face. He wanted to banish the scene playing out in his mind. "I killed him just like he wanted. Before he died I asked him why he would do this to me and he replied that I was a desperate soul just like him." Tears of shame, or remorse, tracked down his cheeks. In three hundred years Rumplestiltskin regretted what he had done not because he was telling Belle, but because as he spoke he was taken back to that moment, to the very second he pulled the dagger from the chest of the Zoso and saw his own name inscribed on the blade.

Belle dropped her hands from his face, to his shoulders, where she dug her fingers into the fabric of his suit jacket processing what he had just told her. Rumplestiltskin had killed someone, even though it had been part of a grand design by the previous Dark One. She said nothing as she leaned into him holding him close. His hands shook as the rested on her back, fingers clutching the fabric of her dress. "Oh, my love…" She kissed his temple just holding him, but she could sense there was more to this story. Belle was going to wait.

Rumple drew in a shaky breath. "But, that's not all." He forced himself to be calm, to keep his voice even. "In the morning, soldiers as well as the Duke of the Frontlands came back to the village intent on taking my son. The powers, the darkness were still so new, so overpowering that…" He stood straight and stepped away from Belle turning his back on her. His heart was beating wildly out of control. "I couldn't stop… I killed them too just to keep them from taking my son." Rumple expected to hear the bell above the door jingle letting him know that Belle had fled from him, but the shop remained silent except for the sound of his thundering heart. Again he felt her hand; she was gripping the back of his jacket. Rumple's chest rose and fell faster in an attempt to bring more oxygen in his lungs. Belle said nothing as she wrapped her arms around him again pillowing her head on his right shoulder blade. He shook all over from buried shame.

Belle could have left, she could have run from his shop and never returned to him, but that would have scarred him more so than he already was. Her Rumplestiltskin was a man who had endured endless amount of pain. She didn't want to be one more reason that he suffered. So she stayed even after hearing that he had taken life. There wasn't a person in this town that she had met who hadn't killed at least once. What kind of person would she be if she was repulsed by that? "I'm not leaving." Belle whispered placing a kiss to his back. "I'm not leaving you."

**THE PARK:**

Mina sat nestled in Dracula's arms as they lounged against the trunk of a large tree watching the sun fall past the tree tops. This day had slipped by unnoticed for the most part. Being with him in this world felt familiar almost; like she had been in this world before but repressed the memories. "Have we been here before?" She asked lightly watching the sunset.

"Ages ago in a time that is long dead," Dracula responded hugging Mina closer. "We came from this world when you were a very young vampire and your memories were being made in a different way, but as we faced death we somehow with the aide of an unknown force took us to the world we live in now. At the time it seemed like magic," For many years he had tried to figure out how they were saved, but he gave up on it knowing that he and Mina were alive and together in world where no one would harm them.

"Then that means Jonathan is dead and buried?" Mina didn't have to ask. She knew already. "Everyone I knew is gone; truly gone." When she had woken in the new land Mina had thought that Van Hellsing, Jonathon, Arthur, and Dr. Seward had simply left them in peace. "Even Lucy is dust in her mausoleum."

"Yes," Dracula whispered kissing the top of Mina's head. "I can never apologize enough for what I did to your Lucy." Gently he rocked from side to side still feeling, after all these centuries, the way Mina struck him when he admitted to her who he truly was. In telling Mina the truth, Dracula had felt great shame knowing that he had taken her best friend from her, turning her into one of his Brides. Lucy would have been less than what Mina was. Mina was true undead while Lucy had been a slave to his will power. "I never meant to hurt you in that way."

"I know," Mina tucked her head up under his chin. "It was Van Hellsing who took Lucy from me when he cut off her head and drove a stake through her heart." She remembered when she was still turning how conflicted she had felt when he had been trying to save her and that she had wanted to take his life. "That night, when we were at the Castle, I nearly killed Van Hellsing for what he did to Lucy. But I stopped and he…" Mina could still feel the way her skin had sizzled and burned with the Eucharist. She touched her forehead even now to make sure the mark was truly gone. That had brought her back to herself but it had also weakened the mental bond she had with her love.

"Even in the stage of turning you never could have killed," Dracula mused, "I know that for certain. Even as you are as I am, you can't take life," He hugged her tighter. "You still have your soul untainted by murder." For her to kill she would lose a part of herself that Dracula was sure she could never get back and it would kill him to know that she would change into some darker version. Mina was too kind, too gentle to be the killer he was. He knew that and he accepted it.

Mina asked something she knew she shouldn't have, "Would it be so terrible if we didn't return to our land?" She sat up pulling her knees to her chest. "What if, when they found a way to their home, we went there instead?" All too quickly she had become accustomed to the magic that zinged along her skin making her stronger, more powerful than she had felt in many years. Mina wanted to go home, but her home was where ever Dracula was. What would be the use of returning to a world where they were feared?

"Is this really what you want?" Dracula asked. If he never returned to their realm he would be happy because he would have Mina where nothing else mattered. She was all he cared about and her happiness was important to him. After the pain she had suffered when they fell in love, he had tried to give her everything she desired, tried to ease all of her burdens.

"I don't know," Mina said. If he wanted to go back to their world then she would go with him gladly. Though, there was some small part of her that hoped he chose to try and live in a new world with the friends she had made here. They came from a world where magic ruled and as she had been here, the magic in this land, kept the worst of her hunger at bay. I was nice, for once, to not be totally ruled by her hunger. "But if we do go to their world, would it be so terrible?" She wondered. Dracula cupped her face and just smiled at her drawing her back in against his body so he could continue to hold her.


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: T+

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

**GRANNY'S DINER:**

Mina and Dracula had walked through town without much thought to the people. They were more caught up in being together again until they stopped in front of the diner where they saw Rumplestiltskin and Belle sitting together in a booth conversing with each other. Mina looked to her husband and then to the couple through the window. No words were needed between them most of the time. Dracula took her hand pulling her inside the establishment. Once inside Mina waved at Belle and the young woman waved them over. Fully aware that they were being stared at Mina, with her hand still in Dracula's, walked over to the booth and slid in to sit in front of Belle. "Good evening." Mina greeted with a warm smile.

"Hello," Rumple greeted, "I didn't think you would enjoy coming to a place where food was served." He mentioned. It did seem odd that two vampires who required nothing but blood willingly stepped foot inside Granny's. When they had come in, as with everyone else, he and Belle felt their eyes being drawn to them. Having Mina and Dracula sit with them actually felt familiar while taking some of the attention off of them. Gold found that he actually enjoyed their company.

"The smell of food does not bother us," Dracula answered stretching his arm out across the back of the seat so he could twirl locks of Mina's hair around his finger. He couldn't stop touching her. She was as addicting as the first day he met her. "It's nice to sit down with friends during a meal even though Mina and I no longer require food." He added with a smile that was both predatory and friendly. Then he turned his gaze to Belle as she was watching him with avid curiosity.

"If you don't mind, can I ask how you two met?" Belle asked. She could see they had a long and loving history together. Dracula inclined his head giving consent but he said nothing. She looked to Mina who was smiling. It would be she who would start the tale of the first encounter.

Mina bit her bottom lip, showing her fangs on accident as she remembered the first time she had seen her sweet Prince on the streets of London. "It was London, 1897, and I saw him staring at me across the street. He was dressed in a silk grey suit, matching top hat, a cane with a dragon on it, and blue sunglasses." Mina closed her eyes instantly taken back to that day, wondering how she could have ever forgotten living in London.

Dracula jumped in, "Mina was dressed in a stunning green dress that brought out her eyes, and a matching hat of her own that sat demurely atop her mass of dark hair swept up and away from her face." He closed his eyes, "If I concentrate I can still see that day, and hear the sounds of the carriages, the voices of the people. I can still see her across the street looking but not really seeing me."

Mina said, "Until I did see you. I was in town fetching medicine for a sick friend." She stopped for a moment as she forced the natural sadness she had felt for years about Lucy away. "And then out of nowhere he appeared," She smirked at him, "Bumping into me like a bumbling tourist." And then she laughed at his shocked expression.

"Bumbling?" Dracula faked being appalled. "I resent that and after I made sure the bottle you carried did not break." He tugged on her hair playfully. "I only wanted directions and I thought I was very polite in asking for your help." Dracula said winking at Belle who giggled at them.

Rumplestiltskin chose at that moment to join in directing his question to Mina, "And you didn't a help a kind stranger?" He joked chuckling when she playfully glared at him. There was such a sense of familiarity between the four of them that it was comforting to Gold and he could tell that it was helping to but Belle at ease as well.

"Not true," Mina defended, "I did tell him where he could purchase a street atlas." She laughed leaning her head on Dracula's shoulder. "He wanted to find the Cinematograph, claiming it was wonder of the civilized world. I told him to go to a museum."

"You were rather rude, my love." Dracula pointed out. "Here I was a humble foreigner asking a beautiful lady for help." He tried to play innocent, but the four of them were laughing.

"I was rude?" Mina scoffed. "You were a stranger at the time…" She trailed off. "But I did apologize," Looking to Belle, Mina said, "I did take him to the Cinematograph where we watched a few of the first movies."

"That was nice of you." Belle said to Mina with a chuckle, "But what is a Cinematograph?" She asked hardly aware of all the attention they were gaining. Strangers didn't come to Storybrooke so when Mina, and now her husband, had come here, they were the center of attention. Also, Belle was happy to not be the only one to draw the stares of others simply because she associated with Rumplestiltskin. The town, for whatever reason, made him an outsider while still going to him for help on occasion.

Dracula answered, "It was a wonder of modern science," He said and Mina scoffed lightly. "It was the first short film, a movie. I was astounded at what I was seeing for the first time. It was made all the more special as I was seeing this new marvel with Mina." He cleared his throat, "Then we were interrupted." Dracula skipped over the detail of him nearly biting her, nearly drinking her blood, and let his cherished wife pick up the tale.

Mina continued, "I started to get nervous about being there and tried to leave. What happened after that was a little bit of a blur, but I do remember a wolf with snow white fur, the same wolf that had gotten loose from the London Zoo. There was a flurry of movement and I was caught up in it until I came face to face with said wolf, but…" She looked to Dracula, "There he was," A smile danced on her lips; loving and full of warmth. "He saved me like he always does." Dracula placed his hand, palm up, on the table where Mina laced her fingers with his. She was always amazed that this man, this romantic, sensual, and deeply scarred man could love her like there was no point to life without her.

"Then, the next night I escorted her to dinner," Dracula brought her hand up and kissed her knuckles. "She had her hair flowing freely barely restrained by gold combs and Mina wore an exquisite red dress that played against the alabaster of her skin. To me, Mina was a dream I never wanted to wake up from."

"I feel the same about Belle," Rumple muttered swept up in the wealth of emotion he could feel pouring off of Dracula in regards to his Mina. They had so much love that had risen above the darkness in both of them. Gold placed his arm over Belle's shoulder so he could gently pull her close where his lips touched her temple.

Mina felt tears well up in her eyes. "You two have such a powerful love between you," She rested her temple on Dracula's shoulder. "A love as tender and true as that is never easy. I hope no matter what happens you two are always together. Love is always worth the pain and heartache to takes to make it work."

Belle stayed where she was against Rumplestiltskin feeling at ease, "You two managed to stay together though, I'm assuming, there were worse problems than what we have." She angled her head to look a Rumple who just nodded. Belle knew that he love with Rumple was layered and would bring her a share of heartache, but when she thought about not being with him; that killed her.

"It hasn't been easy," Mina admitted, "He's done some terrible things, a few of them were directed at me just as I had done terrible things to him, but we got through it because our love mattered more than the short lived hurt between us." She swallowed her tears. "Before I met him, he had infected my best friend Lucy but… uhhh… she… died… painfully because of what she was turning into." Mina tightened her hold on Dracula's hand. His kissed her temple lightly, over and over, while saying nothing. "Even though, I knew Dracula was the cause of her death, I couldn't hate him. I loved him too much."

"But the breathing men would not let us be," Dracula fought to keep the snarl out of his voice. "The night they came to destroy me, I was with Mina," As he spoke Dracula was back in that small room, in bed with the woman he loved trying to get her to understand what it would mean if she chose to walk with him for all eternity. "I told her that to walk with me she had to die to her breathing life and that she be reborn to mine; a world of darkness and death." Even now there was pain in his voice just as there had been years ago. "I wanted her with me so much that as she fed from me, I stopped her, and tried to spare her. My love for was so strong that I could not condemn her." Dracula kissed Mina's forehead once more.

"I wanted to see how he saw the world. I wanted to love the things he loved. I wanted to be with him forever. It didn't matter what happened to me, how could I leave him?" Mina smiled at Belle and Rumplestiltskin. "On that night, he gave me life eternal, everlasting love, power over the storms and the beasts of the earth. I went with him willingly into death knowing that it would alright." Mina ended her tale looking squarely at Belle, "Now that I have told you our tale of woe, it's your turn. How did the two of you cross paths?"

Belle blushed red shaking her head shyly, "You don't want to hear about us. I want to hear more about you." She tried to steer the conversation back to Dracula and Mina. "Everyone is staring at the two of you." Belle pointed out. Dracula and Mina seemed to move, to live, as one person at times.

"Ah, Belle, death is attractive…" Dracula said letting his voice go as smooth as silk and as dark as night.

"In a sinister kind of way," Mina finished. "Now, please tell us how you two fell in love."

"We will take no refusal." Dracula smiled bearing his fangs for the first time.

"It was at her father's castle." Gold spoke up startling Belle. She sat up straight looking at him. "I was summoned there to make a deal and then I saw her. She wore a dress the color of gold and she seemed to glow despite the dark times plaguing her village." Rumple kept his voice low so only Belle, mina, and Dracula could hear him.

Belle chimed in keeping her voice low, "Ogre's were attacking our village. My father promised Rumplestiltskin gold if he would help us, except…" Belle chuckled at the memory of his voice and the way he had declined the payment.

"I… uhh… make gold." Rumplestiltskin said in the exact same voice whispering it in Belle's ear. She turned her face into his shoulder trying to contain her light giggling laughter. Gold gazed at Mina who was smiling brightly at Belle. Now he was able to see the similarity between all of them. He and Dracula were men who did terrible things while Belle and Mina were the women they loved more than life and would give anything to make them happy.

Belle composed herself, but was still all smiles, "And then he asked for me as payment." She shook her head, "I can remember my father's reaction, my fiancé's, and my own. My father got furious, Gaston; he was my fiancé, he tried to shelter me behind him, and I was oddly intrigued."

"You were?" Mina asked seeing the guilty look in Belle's eyes. She gasped, "You were more than intrigued."

"He is the most powerful man in all the land and he asked for me." Belle said looking away from Rumplestiltskin, "At the time I didn't know if he was merely being eccentric or if there something else motivating him. Until I found out what he wanted."

"I think we can guess what he wanted." Dracula teased Rumple and the man of magic hid a smirk while shaking his head. The count merely laughed.

"Oh no, he wanted me to clean his castle." Belle answered playfully poking Gold in the shoulder.

"Big mistake my friend." Dracula angled his body slightly stretching his long legs out, crossing his ankles. He made sure that should someone walk by, they wouldn't trip over him. It was then that he noticed two young women staring at him. Dracula turned his attention back to Rumplestiltskin and Belle. The young women didn't interest him but he memorized their faces should he need to find food later.

"Ah, but…" Gold nudged Belle just as playfully, "She didn't say no. At the time, I wasn't looking for love. I didn't need it, but my Castle was a little dusty and Belle agreed. She said she would go with me, forever, as long as her friends and family were safe, to which I agreed."

"It was all so strange for me," Belle mused. "I had never left my village and then all of a sudden there I was in a new land, in a large castle with a man who…" She shook her head, "I don't know how to describe how I felt walking through those enchanted doors for the first time." Belle recalled the massive doors as the opened with just a wave of Rumplstiltskin's hand. "I tried to feel fear but I couldn't because some small part of me knew this was where I belonged." Then Belle turned a sarcastic smirk on Rumple, "At least that was until he put me in the dungeon telling me it was my room."

Gold shrugged, "It was a joke." Mina and Dracula dissolved into a fit of dark melodious laughter that filled the diner drawing the attention over everyone. Their voices were in perfect harmony; it was spellbinding.

"Not a very funny joke I would imagine." Dracula reined his laughter in. It was nice to just be a person for a change and not perceived a monster.

"No, not really," Gold shook his head, "But I made it up to her. There was this room that was perfect for her." He kissed the top of her head and hugged Belle close. "The window faced the rising sun as well as the spacious lawn with all sorts of flower growing. I tried to make it so she had all the comforts of her home." Gold stopped talking seeing her walk into the room for the first time.

"After a few weeks, I grew used to the Castle," Belle said, "Then one day I was on a ladder trying to take down curtains. They wouldn't budge," She laughed lightly. "Giving it a rest for a moment I looked over at him as he sat at his spinning wheel and I asked him why he spun so much. He had more gold than I had ever seen and it was way too much one person could spend in a lifetime."

Gold picked up, "I answered her saying that spinning helped me to forget." There had been so much in his life that he wanted to forget; so many years of madness.

Belle continued, "I asked what he could possibly want to forget. He stopped saying, 'I guess it worked.' Then he did this chuckle that made me laugh. It was the first time I had truly laughed at the Dark Castle. I turned back to the curtain and continued to tug on it. It was maddening until I heard him get up to walk over to me. He asked me what I was doing to which I answered that I wanted to open the curtains since it was spring time, we should let some light in." Belle looked at Rumple, "I still can't believe you nailed the curtains down."

"I never opened them, it was easier." Gold smiled. "Of course Belle tugged on the curtain hard enough to rip it down, but she also fell off the ladder. I just happened to be standing in the right spot to catch her." He could still feel her as she fell right into his arms, the way she looked at him, the way he had blinked and squinted at the bright sunlight. "It was definitely a new experience catching her."

Belle giggled at the memory, "While I was just grateful he caught me." She placed her left hand over his right and laced their fingers together. "Though, he did set me down rather abruptly."

"I was startled." Gold mumbled. He had never caught a woman in his arms before Belle. The memory of her was still imprinted on his skin to this day.

"You were startled?" Belle gaped, teasing him. "I fell off the ladder." Rumple brought her hand up and he kissed her knuckles, "But you did catch me and you will always catch me when I fall." Though, the good times they had, the laughter, him giving her the rose, was all too soon overshadowed by a certain night ingrained in her memory forever.

"I had never caught a woman like that before." Rumple defended looking to Dracula who only smiled at him. "Catching her it entirely worth it though," He kissed the side of Belle's head feeling all the love he had for her fill his heart.

Mina gazed at Belle and Rumplestiltskin, seeing in their body language that dark times were a head for them. "Like us, you must have gone through something terrible." Her voice was soft, it was gentle.

"Yes," Belle turned suddenly sad eyes to Mina, "We were talking about love one afternoon after he had given me a rose." The scene played out in her mind all over again. "I believe love is layered, that it's a mystery you go through life figuring out." She skipped over some of the details, "Then he made me a deal that if I would go to town he would tell me about…" Belle turned her attention back to Rumple who gave her a small nod signaling to her that it was ok. She cleared her throat, keeping her voice low, "He said he would tell me more about his son."

Dracula nodded, "The pain of a lost child, a son," He knew that pain as well. Elisabetta, after just a few months of marriage, became pregnant with his child, but times were cruel and the child did not survive to breathe its first breath of air. "The madness it inspires seems never ending." Dracula knew the edge of darkness he had suffered over the loss of his child, but he couldn't falter then. Elisabetta needed him.

"Yes, I did go mad," Gold said, "But, as it turns out, that's my fate. When I let Belle go I honestly didn't expect her to return. I was trying to spare her from what inevitably happens, but then she came back to me, and I was happy." He kept his eyes focused on the table top of the booth so he could steady his mind for what came next. "Little did I know that Regina had gotten to her." The pain of that still burned inside of him. He should have protected her better than that. Rumplestiltskin should have known better but he had been falling in love.

Belle said, "What he means is that when I was on my way to town with the intention of never going back but the Queen found me on the road and she put an idea, more like a suggestion, in my head." Back then, it had seemed like a good idea. Break his curse and then they could live happily ever after, "Except at the time I didn't know what I was really getting into. Regina told me that true loves kiss can break any curse."

"I take it things went badly," Mina sympathized with Belle. She could see that neither of them wanted to speak on the particulars of what happened that night. It would be cruel of Mina to push the subject.

"They did," Belle answered. "I ended up in the Queens dungeon and then in an asylum for 28 years." She had worked hard on building walks around her time in the locked asylum room with only a grated window to stare out of. Belle hadn't wanted to talk about her time there, not even with Rumplestiltskin. Ruby had even tried her best to get her to open up about it.

"You poor sweet girl," Dracula muttered. Then to Mina he spoke in Romania, "_You were right my love. They are just like us._" He looked back to Rumple, "I am truly sorry for the pain you and your love have suffered through these long years."

Rumplestiltskin had never told another living soul about Belle's time in his castle and yet he was talking to Dracula and his wife they were the oldest, closest friends he had on this earth besides Belle. He was at such ease around them, "What is it about the two of you that put me at ease?"

"You identify with us," Mina answered. "We've been though what you have and we survived together." Reaching across the table she took Belle and Rumplstiltskin's joined hands, "I'm honored that you feel so at ease with us enough to tell us about the painful journey have traveled so far."

Then the spell over the four of them was suddenly broken, "Sorry folks, but the diner is closing for the night." Granny had been standing at the counter with Ruby for the last hour listening to the last four people chat companionably. She hadn't realized how much Belle and the Dark One really loved each other.

"Oh…" Mina looked to the elderly wolf and then to the clock. It was past midnight. "Please accept humblest apologies. We did not realize that so much time had slipped by." She smiled gently. Dracula slid out of the booth offering his hand to her. Like the lady she had been, Mina placed her hand demurely in his letting him help her from the booth. He pulled her against him, raising her hand up so he could once again kiss her knuckles. Mina could never forget the feeling of the first time her heart had fluttered in response to him. This was one of the rare times she lamented her that heart no longer beat.

"Its fine," Granny said trying not to be taken in by the familiarity she felt standing before the two vampires. "We just have a lot of prep work to do and some cleaning left." Granny lied. All of that had been done while they listened to the two couples exchange tales of how they met. She had to admit that listening to Rumplestiltskin talk about Belle with gentleness in his voice made her reassess him as man instead of the Dark One, but she would never speak out loud about this.

"Ah, then we are doubly sorry." Dracula produced three gold coins, "I hope this enough."

**DR. WHALE'S HOUSE:**

Mina stood against the door of Victor's house with her ear pressed up against the wood listening for the faint tell tale sign of his heart beat. There was nothing but silence inside. She turned the knob, pushing the door open with Dracula close behind her, his chest pressed into her back, his lips teasing the side of her neck. Her undead body tingled with whatever magic animated them; she hungered for her Prince's touch. He wrapped his arms around her, walking with her into the house, and kicked the door closed. Dracula wasn't going to take her up to the bed. No, he was leading her to the wide spacious couch in front of the bay window. "We're not going to bed?" Mina asked trying to remain lucid, but his touch was driving her to the heights of madness.

"No," Dracula growled. He wanted to take her blood, to know what she had done in the two days she had been here. Her words were a sweet melody to his ears, but they would be no substitute for her blood, for the knowledge that came with it. Dracula wanted to see what she had seen. Walking her over to the couch, he made her kneel on the cushions before him, her fingers digging into the overstuffed leather. His hands slid over her leather clad hips, down to drag his claws over the inside her thighs. Dracula worked his way up undoing the buttons of her tight vest and then the crimson silk shirt. Teasingly his slid it down her shoulders before taking it from her body so he could feel her skin. The moon light shone down on her dark hair, on her perfect pale skin, making him hunger for her all the more. He swept aside her lovely dark locks to expose the long lean line of her neck, and the crook of her shoulder. Dracula felt his fangs extend demanding that they be locked into her flesh. Fusing his chest to her back, his hips to her rear, Dracula sank his sharp teeth in the crook of her neck tasting her sweet blood and seeing her memories.

Mina's spine bowed at the first initial bite, but then pleasure suffused her being that only her loving husband could bring forth from inside of her. If she had stayed human, stayed with Jonathon, Mina would have never have known anything thing as wickedly sensual as this. Dracula had awakened passions in her that had been lying dormant in her for years. He was her perfect mate, the rest of her heart and soul. Dracula was her true love; the man she had been meant for from the moment she had taken her first breath. Then Mina gasped, digging her claws into the leather, when Dracula hands came up to massage her breasts, his fingers tweaking and twisting her hardened nipples pleasurably. In delicious retaliation, she gripped his leather clad hardness as best she could. Mina knew what was to come and she relished it. Dracula growled again; his chest rumbling against her bare back.

Dracula saw the night Mina arrived clearly as if it was happening to him. Strangers watched her while she fed hungrily on Victor. Then it flashed to her at the diner talking to Ruby, Victor came in again offering her medical blood that made her sick, made her search out more food. Mina's memory cut to being with the Hatter in his house, in his bed as she feasted on his blood while bringing him as much pleasure as she dared without breaking her sacred vows to him. The scene shifted again to Rumplestiltskin helping Mina, to Belle holding her hand against the pain, and then she saw Mina feeding on the dark haired woman she had on the edge of a desk. Mina feeding from a woman did more for him than he thought. He rolled his hips foreword pushing his hardness further into her hand. Breaking the bite Dracula stepped back and brought Mina into his arms, her legs around his waist, "Now, I take you to the bed." He purred.

Mina tangled her fingers his hair, "Finally," She stated in a husky gasp. "I need my husband." Leaning into him she took his mouth, tasting her blood, and kissed his passionately as he walked through the house as if he had lived here for years knowing where everything was. Mina knew that no matter how long they lived, she would never lose her thirst for him. "Make me yours over and over all through the night." She pleaded.

**FAIRY TALE LAND:**

Cora waited on the beach as a thunderous storm churned up the water while she waited for her guest to arrive. She had made many deals to get her to this moment to which she hadn't regretted a single one of them. Now, the man, the monster, that she was expecting was a part of her return. Cora would honor her debt to him for the moment. A sharp slice of lightning cut into the sand bringing her guest. The man stood up shaking his mass of black hair set against black clothing and pale skin. "Draga, so nice you could make it to my world." Cora greeted going to him.

Draga knew he had made a deal with a worse devil than the one who had cursed his brother Dracula, but in the end it would be worth it as she had promised him he kingdom Dracula and his whore of a wife ruled. His brother was ill suited to the throne these days and it was all because of Mina. Draga hated that woman with a fierce passion that would only be soothed with her death. But should he kill her then Dracula would instantly take his life. There would be no gain for him and an eternity of suffering for his brother. "He's in this Storybrooke, just like you asked."

"And the medallion?' Cora inquired. She had been searching for the Ouroborus in their world without much success, until she had learned that it came from the world of nightmares. That was when she reached out to Draga.

"I couldn't get it," Draga growled. "My brother gave it to his wife and she hid it from the world." He removed his gloves flexing his long clawed fingers. "But as I understand it, you do not need it now," Cora radiated anger. She was going to slap him. Her hand shot out but he caught her with ease. "Now, now, don't be rude." Flexing his power he wrenched her wrist until she fell against him. "My brother is there and so is the medallion. If there is someone there who desires to return to this charred land, a portal will open soon. You know that."

"I do not like when my plans go awry." Cora snarled, but her powers were no use against a true undead vampire; especially the vampire before her who was only half the power of his brother. "But, you did live up to half of our agreement. For the time being you will remain here until I cross over, then your brother's kingdom will be yours."

Draga tilted his head back breathing deeply, filling his lungs with air he would never need again. The magic infused his system battling back his hunger. He could survive in this world if he had to, but he would be eager to return home, return to a world where Mina and Dracula could never set foot in again. "As you wish, Cora," Draga let her go and backed away from her. "But cross me and I will kill you as painfully as I can." He threatened. It was then he saw it, there in her eyes; the first crack to her cold veneer. She was truly afraid of him.


	7. Chapter 7 RATED M

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: M

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

**LATE AFTERNOON:**

Mina stirred in bed feeling the sheet whisper around her body with no one beside her. She sat up looking for the body of her husband, but he was nowhere to be found in the room. Gathering the sheet close she wrapped it tight so she could had down stairs where she heard voices talking. In the kitchen Victor stood eating a sandwich while her love stood with his back to the room staring out the window wearing only black dress pants. Today he had fixed his hair so all of it was braided down his back. "I'm feeling left out." Mina stretched her arms over her head with a smile on her lips. "Were you two playing nice?" She asked going to Victor to give him a sisterly kiss on the cheek.

"We were both perfect gentlemen," Dracula answered turning from the window looking at his wife with all the love he had. She came to him wrapping her arms around him, pillowing her cheek on his chest, "We wanted to let sleep a little while longer." He said. Dracula had been down here talking with Victor about how to get back to their world with the arm band Igor had cobbled together. Victor explained that he couldn't. Whatever had made it work; the circuits were burned out and couldn't be replaced in this world. For now they were trapped in this world.

"Your husband and I thought it would be good for you to have a girl's day where you can go shopping for anything." Victor chimed in setting aside his coffee cup waiting for the knock to the front door. And just like clockwork, the knocking reverberated throughout the house. "Excuse me." Victor left the kitchen to invite his guests inside. Out on the porch Ruby waited with Belle beside her squinting in the harsh afternoon sun. "Hello ladies. Please come inside," Victor stepped aside noting how warily Ruby eyed him. When he had been cursed, he had been little more than a letch, and that shamed him. Victor was a man of science and he wished to be thought of in that way again.

Ruby was more than a little uneasy about being in Whale's house. The man was a notorious womanizer and sleaze ball. It turned her stomach to be in the same room with him but she was here because he wanted her to take Mina shopping. If there was anything Ruby knew how to do; it was shopping. When she followed him into the kitchen she had to avert her gaze. Dracula had Mina on the edge of the counter and they were kissing; slow and sweet. Seeing them like that made her miss Peter all the more. Then she said, "So this is how vampires get the day started?"

Mina broke the kiss to smile wickedly at Ruby. The wolf flushed crimson. "Being in the arms of the man you love is better than your favorite breakfast." She smiled and saw a knowing smile on Belle. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" She asked looking back to Dracula as she slid against him and off the counter. He growled at her, warning her to behave. She knew she would do no such thing. Mina was known for her wicked streak and she was intent on using it as she was the only one wearing a sheet while everyone else was actually dressed. A small sting of her Victorian modesty chose that moment to kick in demanding that she race up stairs and put some proper clothes on.

"I wouldn't know," Ruby muttered, "But I'm here to steal you away for the afternoon. Tonight there is a gathering at the Cauldron and we need to get you some clothes." She smiled at the genuine light of happiness in Mina's eyes. "Of course that requires that you wear actual clothes and not the sheet, though, a toga never goes out of style." She quipped. Mina, Belle, and Ruby laughed together while the two men in the room simply stared at them wise enough to keep quiet.

Mina sobered, "Then I shall get dressed without delay." She gathered up the sheet in her hands so she could walk without tripping and headed back to the bedroom she had taken over in Victor's house. Since she had worn the clothes she had borrowed from Jefferson two days in a row, it was time to put her clothes back on. Dropping the sheet back on the bed Mina quickly put on her skin hugging pants that cut off just below her knees. Next came her intricate black corset adorned with vines of red, of midnight blue, and of emerald symbols. Mina pulled tight the laces and then reached behind her to bring the various clasps together. She hardly noticed the restraining leather against her ribs as she slid her right foot into her boot and pulled the zipper up and then closed the clasp over it. Mina repeated this with her left boot. All that was left for her to do was to tam her mass of long dark curly locks. A smile lit her lips as she raced back down stairs.

Dracula listened to Mina dressing from the bottom of the stairs. It gave him the chance to imagine her as she had been; alive. He could almost hear her heart beating again, feel it teasing the tip of his tongue as he kissed the side of her neck. If he could turn back time, to make her human, he would do it. There was no greater gift than mortality. He had this desire off and on for over two hundred years. Mina had made her choice to be with him in darkness rather than living in the light. Dracula loved her all the more for that. Looking up to the top of the stairs, she stood there with a happy smile on her face. She hurried down the steps, only to leap into his arms. With great ease he caught her, his hands holding the backs of her thighs and her hands cupping the back of his. "I should have thought you would have dressed faster than this." He teased and then kissed her, ravishing her mouth completely. Dracula nipped her chin; rained kisses down the side of her neck, and then over to the generous swell of her left breast.

Mina cupped the back of his head, her fingers itching to tangle themselves in his braid, but she resisted. "Could you help me?' she asked waiting for him to look at her. When his blue eyes met hers Mina said, "Would you style my hair? You're better at it than I am." She smiled demurely at him bringing forth all of the charm and guile she was still capable of. Slowly, without a word, he set her down, and moved his hands through her hair. Mina felt with her heightened senses each long lock move under his will, twisting and turning into the style he wanted. A few seconds later her hair was swept up away from her shoulders in a complex bun of braids and curls. If she had a reflection then she would have wanted to see what it looked like. "Now we match." Mina kissed him quickly and then hugged him. "I love you."

"As I love you with all that I am," Dracula replied kissing her forehead. "Now, go, have fun today." He let go of his wife smiling as she went to the door with Ruby and Belle. With her hair pulled up he could see the mark of his family emblazoned on her back. Like magic the wings of the dragon opened to span the length of her shoulders. Men called him evil, called him a monster or a demon from the darkness. Mina called him her love, her husband. She was the best thing that had ever happened to his long misery ridden life. If there was ever a moment to thank the god he had forsaken so long ago he would be doing that now.

**TOWN:**

Ruby led the way to the part of town where the shops held mostly clothes. Belle's tastes in clothes ran differently than hers and drastically different than what Mina wore. This part of Storybrooke catered to everyone. "First we should find something for Belle," Ruby announced linking her arm with her Belle. The first place they stopped was Modern Fashions. Inside, ruby waved to the woman behind the counter, "Hey Greta, we're here to shop!" Ruby laughed separating from Belle to move throughout the story looking for anything red.

Mina saw Belle looking a little lost. She went over to her and rested her hand on Belle's shoulder. "Not having fun?"

"I… uhhh…." Belle felt ridiculous being in here. "I don't know how to do this… how to shop." She flexed her fingers, "I've been a few times with Rumplestiltskin, but with Ruby, it…"

"Feels strange?" Mina asked knowing that it was exactly the reason. "I feel the same. At the castle back home, my clothes are provided for me." She looked down at her boots. "But, it's good to try new things." Mina looked around the shop where she saw a stunning light golden silk dress. "I think I found a winner." Taking Belle by the hand she pulled her over to where the dressed rested on the hanger. Mina picked it up and held it up in front of Belle. The thin straps, a deep v-neck in the front and back; a long skirt with generous slits would be perfect for Belle. "You would look like a goddess come to earth in this." Mina said with a smile.

Belle turned red, "I couldn't… it's too much." She stepped back, but she really wanted the dress just to see what Rumple would say, to see the look in his face.

Mina waved her hand, "Don't worry about, I have a feeling my little brother is paying for all of this." She angled her head back to look at Ruby where the wolf smiled and nodded eagerly. "Rumplestltskin will die when he see's you in this."

"You think so?" Belle asked trying not to sound too eager to prove Mina's words true. "Will he really like this?"

"Belle, Rumplestiltskin will drool at just the sight of you coming down the stairs in this dress." Ruby came over to see the dress and offer her words of male wisdom. "Besides, you might be equally drooling tonight when you see him. "I heard he was spending the day with the other vampire."

Mina was stunned, "Really? Dracula didn't say anything to me." For a moment Mina was hurt that he hadn't told her anything, but then she figured that he and Rumplestiltskin were having some male bonding time while more than likely working out what to wear tonight. "Rumplestiltskin strikes me as a man who puts great thought into what he wears." She mused.

Belle chuckled, "Oh yes he puts a lot of thought into what he wears." She had a knowing smile on her face, "You should have seen him in our world. The man wore nothing but tight leather pants." Then Belle giggled at the memory of watching him walk in front of her. "He is always dressed in such a way that exudes power and control while still managing to have that…." She trailed off with another blush working up her cheeks with Ruby and Mina watching her. "Sorry…" Belle looked down at the carpet.

"Don't apologize," Mina laughed. "Have you seen the pants my husband wears?" she asked in a saucy manner. "My man would make a nun take notice."

Ruby snorted, "Oh yeah, those pants on Dracula… oh my god." She mimicked fanning herself. "Your husband is gorgeous I don't mind looking at him."

"You can look just don't touch." Mina warned.

"Touching is not an issue." Ruby shrugged, "Your skin creeps me out being all dead and cold."

"Gee thanks." Mina rolled her eyes. Then three of them started to laugh companionably. "I only hope Dracula and Rumplestiltskin are not having as much fun as we are. That could be dangerous." Mina pointed out before falling into another fit of laughter with Ruby and Belle.

**GOLD'S HOUSE:**

Rumplestiltskin opened his door to find Dracula waiting on his porch holding a potion bottle full of, what he assumed, was Mina's blood. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked stepping aside so Dracula could enter his home. Gold didn't want to give too much away, but he hoped that it was Mina's healing blood. For Belle, he wanted so much to be a man who could walk without the assistance of a cane. Gold wanted to be some vestige of his former self with strength as he already had his powers back.

Dracula walked inside remaining silent for the moment. He removed the blue colored glasses slipping them in his pocket. Last night after being ushered from the diner, as the woman walked a head of them, he and Rumplestiltskin spoke about the man and his limp. Dracula felt for the other man and he wanted to help. Taking a breath of air he didn't need Dracula spoke, "Yes, Mina and I decided that you need this." Offering the vial, Dracula waited, watching the other man as he stared at the crimson liquid with a mixture of exhilaration and revulsion. "You won't have to take much," Dracula added. "How are you with needles?" He wondered with a sudden idea. Most people were opposed to the idea of drinking blood.

Rumplestiltskin shrugged, "I don't… uhhh… I'm not afraid of them if that's what you're asking." Reaching out his hand, Gold took the bottle, and he could have sworn that he felt the pulse of life thrumming from inside. This was pure magic. What was he getting into? Would this change him? Gold didn't have the answers and that is what worried him. "What will this do to me?"

"It won't make you like us," Dracula answered sitting down on the steps resting his forearms on his knees, lacing his fingers. "Mina's blood has a unique gift; healing." He shook his head. "My wife, a singular creature, she does not own the ability to make more vampires like I do." Dracula lengthened his nails, scouring his index claw down the center of his left forearm. A thin line of crimson appeared, "_The blood is the life._" He said I his native tongue; a vow he made when he renounced god. In the next instant the wound was healed. "If you are opposed to drinking blood, then a needle would do…"

Gold interrupted, "No, no… I can stomach it." He looked at the vial, "Do I drink all of it?" Gold eyes the blood, the potion bottle was nearly full. Having been alive for over three hundred years he had never had the occasion to drink blood whether for a spell or for some ghoulish curiosity.

"Not all of it," Dracula stood up and went to the kitchen with Rumplstiltskin following him. Without saying anything he starting fixing tea; one of the skills he had picked up from Mina's blood when he had turned her. He placed the kettle on the burner turning the heat up to HIGH. "You will be able to mask the copper taste in a cup of tea. Four drops is all you will need each week until you run out." Dracula held out his hand for the bottle and Rumplestiltskin gave it back to him transfixed. The kettle hissed shrilly with the water having come to a boil. The tea bag was ready in the cup waiting to be steeped and release the flavor contained within.

"A vampire fixing tea," Gold shrugged, "I've seen stranger things." He watched as Dracula put in four drops of blood and was amazed when the tea actually turned a dark crimson with a slight magical glow. The powerful vampire, a man who was most certainly a king, handed him the delicate china cup. Rumple took it breathing in and out gently. The scent of the tea wafted up and lulled him; it smelled like green tea mixed with mango. The smell was divine. Bringing the cup to his lips, Gold felt the hot liquid slip over his tongue and down his throat carrying with it the rejuvenating properties of Mina's blood.

"The effects of my Mina's blood will last you a week." Dracula informed putting the blood in the cabinet next to the green tea. When he turned back Rumpelstiltskin had drained the contents of the tea cup wearing a satisfied smile. "The effects should be immediate, but don't move too fast." He advised leaning his hip against the center island, crossing his arms over his chest, and he waited. Then he asked, "Do you know about a place called The Cauldron? Mina has been invited by Ruby to attend tonight, and I assume Belle will be in attendance as well."

Rumple set aside the tea cup, taking a step without the cane, and he didn't limp. A broad smile broke out over his face, "Uh… yes," He shook his head focusing. "I will be there as well escorting Belle." He stood tall and without the cane. "There are some rules, well, one rule. A mask is to be worn at all times as to keep fights from breaking out."

"How is one to be dressed?" Dracula inquired. This town was still so strange to him even though he had tasted of Mina's blood and seen the things she had experienced. "I wish for my wife to have as much fun as she can while in this strange time." He faked a sigh, "As you have guessed Mina and I come from this land but not this time. I just want…"

"Her to be happy?" Gold asked knowing the answer. He felt the same way when it came to Belle. Her happiness was all that mattered to him more than his own life. "I know the burden of that task. All I wish for Belle is for her to be happy and right now she is happy with me even though I don't understand how. I love her so much, but I've terrible things that I've never given a second thought to, until Belle." Rumple confessed feeling the sudden euphoria from the blood flee his body.

"Yes, it is a difficult thing to balance." Dracula shook his head chuckling lightly. "We are similar my friend, just as our women are." He stood up straight, "Now for tonight what does one wear?" Dracula wished to set aside the more emotional introspective chat for later. "Mina, Belle, and Ruby our out shopping with money from Victor. My woman will break him." Both men shared a look and then nodded. "My wardrobe will be simple, but I need to know what is acceptable."

"Nothing really, so long as you wear a mask, whatever your personal style is will be welcomed." Gold mused. "I plan to resurrect a former appearance for tonight." A wry smile came to his lips as he thought about what he wore when he caught Belle, but there would be a few alterations made.

"Then tonight should be an interesting evening." Dracula muttered thinking about what his wife could possibly have chosen for her attire tonight. He welcomed the surprise just as he knew she would enjoy his chosen wardrobe tonight.

"I just hope I survive it." Gold replied. He would be going to a place where most of the people would know him in sight with or without his mask. But this was for Belle and he wanted her to have a good time.

**THAT NIGHT:**

Mina and Belle were upstairs in Rumplestiltskin's house changing for their night out at The Cauldron. Ruby had told them that she would meet them there. It wasn't a secret that Ruby distrusted Rumplestiltskin, but she kept silent for Belle's sake because the young beauty was so deeply in love with him. Mina smiled at that as she tied thin ties of her black halter. When they had been shopping Mina had seen this thin scrap of material and fell instantly in love with the gold and silver dragon depicted on the front as well as the black leather skirt that had gone with it. The skirt was long, floor length, with a series of buckles on either side half way down her thighs keeping his on her hips. This was the one time that she cursed not having a reflection. Quickly, Mina fastened the clasps on her the sides of her boots holding the leather too her legs.

Belle looked at herself in the mirror. The golden dress draped over her like mist, hugging her in all the right places. She should be nervous wearing such a revealing dress, but she loved the way she looked in it. The deep v-neck in the back framed her tumble of auburn locks perfectly. She couldn't believe the shoes she had on either. They were stiletto heels that had long laces that twined up her legs to tie just below her knee. In one of the books in the library she had read about the Greek people of this world and the way she was dressed reminded her of their ancient civilization. Now all Belle needed was a mask to complete her chosen attire. When she turned her heart leapt into her throat and a small yelp of surprise escaped. "Mina! My god, you scared me." She placed her hand over her heart.

"Sorry," Mina smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean to. Sometimes I forget I have no reflection." She said, "But, I do have a mask for you." Mina grabbed the box she had brought with her and handed it to Belle. The other woman accepted it, opening the lid, and Mina was pleased with the awe struck look on her friends face. "I saw it and thought it was perfect for you. All you have to do is hold it to your face and the enchanted vines will tangle in your hair comfortably to hold the mask in place."

Belle was hardly listening as she gently pulled the mask from the box. It was off white adorned with delicate red, blue, and gold roses that held a slightly magical sheen. Turning back to the mirror Belle held the mask to her face watching as vines that looked like the stems of roses tangled gently in her hair in an intricate weave until they knotted at the back of her head. She turned, angling her head so she could see a multi-color rose f red, blue, and gold holding her hair back. "Oh, wow…" She was at a loss for words. Belle threw her arms around Mina, "Thank you!"

Mina embraced her friend lovingly, "Of course." She pulled back, cupping Belle's face, "You look so beautiful." Then she motioned to the door, "Let's go. We have men to devastate without beauty." Mina chuckled wickedly and managed to coax a naughty smile from Belle. Tonight was going to be a fun night. She could hardly wait to be in a room full of people that she could feed on. The hunger inside of her growled in approval at that thought.

Down stairs Dracula waited, but his eyes were drawn to the stairs where he saw Mina coming down slowly, almost as if she floated on the air. The black of her clothing and the gold emblem of their family brought out her dark beauty and deadly aura all the more. If he was still capable of breathing, he would have stopped just at the sight of her. Her hair was back to being the wild mass of curls that he loved so much. She stepped from the last step and only then did he see Belle looking just as beautiful as his wife, "My, what lucky men we are." He complimented, "You two have to be the loveliest creatures in all of creation."

Mina bowed, "Why thank you, kind sir." She leaned in and kissed her husband lightly. When she had been coming down the stairs she nearly faltered as she looked at him and what he was wearing. Her husband wore black leather pants with thigh high boots that laced up the back so tight that you couldn't tell what was pant and what was boot. Then her eyes got stuck on his vest that had no buttons to keep his closed, only a wide black rawhide belted with polished silver studs in a decorative pattern that matched the work on the vest and the high rounded collar. It went perfectly with the curls of his dark mass of hair. "You my love are just as beautiful."

Belle stood off to the side watching Mina and Dracula stand so close they seemed to share the same body. She had been hoping Rumplestiltskin was down here, but she hadn't seen him. Her heart sank slightly. It made her wonder what he was doing. Then, she felt eyes on her and she knew who watched her. Turning to the parlor behind her she saw him in all his former glory. She felt her jaw drop at seeing him in his leather pants, in the boots that came up above his knee that were laced perfectly. Still, Belle tracked her gaze up to see his one of his high collared vests in a black with silver vine designs worked in to play against the deep midnight blue of his silk poet shirt. But best of all his face had a gentleness to it that she had come to love so quickly and his hair was once again crimped. "Wow…" she placed her hands over her mouth careful not to smudge her lipstick.

Rumplestiltskin's heart beat wildly in his chest as he stood before Belle. Then he took a step to her. Belle dropped her hands, her mouth gaping open. He offered her the same bow as he had when he first laid eyes on her offering up an explanation for the question that had to be running through her mind, "Mina's blood fixed me… temporarily." He said. "I didn't ask." Gold shook his head coming to her walking like any other man would. Over Belle's shoulder he glared at the cane resting in the corner and then he looked back to Belle. "Dracula came here offering the blood." He closed his eyes, "I just wanted to stand before as I used to be, strong and proud, not a man who relies on a cane to walk." Belle's hands came up to his face as they had on that night when he was dazed, as his curse was beginning to be lifted from him. She had a smile on her face and love in her eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me if you have a cane or not; I love you as you are." Belle said kissing him gently. "Now, I don't want to cry tears happiness and smudge my makeup!" Belle teased happily. Rumple smiled that dazzling smile at her and she reminded. "All you need now is your mask." In a flourish of movement, Rumple made a mask appear that was a complicated twist of different splinters of smooth metal. She could see two distinctive faces formed in mask. "Who are you going as tonight?" Belle asked.

"Tonight," Rumple held the mask to his face having his magic hold it in place while the metal wove in and out of his hair, "I'm Janus, the god of two faces." Then he laughed that crazy cackle that made Belle smile and shake her head, "It was Dracula's suggestion." With the mask in place he offered his arm to Belle. She threaded her left arm through his. Together they turned to see Dracula and Mina wearing matching masks that looked to be made out of dragon scales. Right above the eyebrows on Mina's mask were small wing's that were expanded and on the mask Dracula wore, only falling over his cheek were menacing dragon claws. "I think we're ready to go." Gold muttered leading Belle to the door.

**THE CAULDRON:**

Mina hadn't seen so many people gathered in one place since she had been at Lucy's party back when she was human. There were so many people, so much blood, and so much loud music. Mina licked her lips at the thought of weaving in and out of them and when she compels them, they will only remember that they had too much to drink and too much fun. Leaning into her husband Mina had to shout to be heard by him, "Dance with me." She stepped away from him, taking his hands and leading him out to the floor. The music changed to a slow, pulsing beat. Together they stood in the center of the dance floor watching others as they moved. Mina threw her left arm over Dracula's shoulder while his hands went down to grasp the back of her thighs and his leg slipped in between hers. They moved as everyone else moved, getting swept up in the music, the pounding beat.

At the bar, Belle leaned against Rumplestiltskin with his arms draped around her waist. They watched Mina and Dracula dancing to the beat of the music and noticed that a few other people had taken to watching them as well. Belle had even started to sway as they did feeling Rumplestiltskin's breath catch in his chest. She draped her arm over his shoulder, tangling her fingers in his hair, and angled her head to kiss along his jaw. Whatever spell mina and Dracula were casting over this pace, it was working on her again just as it had when Dracula came to Storybrooke. Then, Rumple's fingers dug into the fabric of her dress as he moaned low in her ear. As much as she wanted to stay, she wanted to be home with him more. Every time they were about to get to this moment, he stopped. There was no stopping them tonight. "Take me home." She gasped.

Out on the floor Mina happened to look over to Belle and Rumplestilskin and what she saw made her smile a Cheshire cat smile. She broke from Dracula's hold, did a slow spin, and rotated her hips in time with the music. Once more she spun, this time coming face to face with a man in a black mask. His eyes were heavy with the lust she knew was swirling about the room. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she saw Dracula entertaining a blonde woman. He had his fangs in her neck. Mina exerted her influence over the man, calling him closer. His hands fit over her waist and she allowed him to lift her against him. Her fangs were extended and his neck was exposed. Quickly she sank them home in his shoulder drawing in blood to keep her alive.

**GOLD'S HOUSE:**

In Gold's car Belle straddled his waist, her fingers in his hair, and her lips fused to his was they sat in the car. Neither of them was in a hurry to go inside, it was a nice night, and Belle was too content in his lap to move. Rumple's hands slid up and down her back, along her thighs, and then back up to play with her hair as he avidly kissed her. But there was something Belle had wanted to do since the first time she watched him walk away from her. Tearing her mouth away from his, Belle moaned, "Get out of the car." She opened the door, barely catching herself.

Rumple got slowly out of the car following Belle up the steps of his home and into the house that one day he would share with her again. He turned to close the door, locking it, when she felt her behind him; her hands were in the center of his back, sliding down. Gold could barely focus on breathing. Then her hands were at his hips traveling down further to fit over his backside where her hand squeezed. Rumple leaned forward lightly banging his forehead on the colored glass. A long drawn out moan escaped him. He turned, put his hands on her hips, and hauled her against his chest where his lips took hers again in a fiery kiss. Belle's hands went right back to cupping him.

Belle had never felt anything as amazing as the way the left hugged his lower half in the perfect way. She had to breathe. Belle pulled back from him, taking her hands from him, so she could go to the stairs. As she went up the steps she didn't hear him following her, but she knew he would. Belle went to the bedroom they both shared where she slid into the center of the bed, rested back on her elbows, and waited for him with her ankles crossed while her dress fanned out around her legs. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she watched the door willing him to walk through.

**THE CAULDRON:**

Mina weaved her way through the mass of dancing magical fairy folk as she came back to Dracula. He had a blood painting his chin and dripping down to coat his chest. She imagined that she had the same look of pure abandonment on her face as well as blood. He pulled her close, hands gripping the back of her thighs. His lips were on hers in a flash giving her his blood dark kiss. Mina moaned and then leaned back while he still had a hold of her. Her torso stretched out before him.

Dracula pulled Mina back up against him, taking her lips once more. She feasted at his mouth and he at hers when the sight of a woman in a white owl mask caught his attention. He pointed her out to Mina. A very feral, primal, smile curved her lips. Dracula had the great pleasure of watching her walk off and towards the woman who stared at the room almost not knowing where to go. He let Mina get further away before he too approached them. Dracula wanted to see how his wife handled this woman.

Mina recognized Regina even through her mask. It was the beat of her heart that gave her away. Moving in and out of the swaying bodies Mina let loose her powers, filling the air, and drawing in the queen. Her blood had been the sweetest that she had ever tasted in 200 years. Mina was eager to taste it again. With the music pounding, the flare of her power, no human could refuse a vampire; not even a Sorceress Queen. "Come," She purred, "Dance with us." Dracula had joined her adding his dark seductive power to the mix. He held out his hand as well. Regina was so mesmerized that her hand went willingly into his.

**GOLD'S HOUSE:**

Rumplestiltskin pushed open the door to their bedroom where his heart literally stopped beating for a second. Belle lounged in the center of the bed with a provocative smile playing on her lips, her ankles crossed, and the gold of her dress fanning out around her. She looked like a Greek goddess come to earth to tempt men. And tempted he was. Rumple walked over to the bed making sure to keep his steps even. He wanted to be comfortable with the next step they were taking. Gold stopped just at the foot of the bed letting his eyes rove over her. "You are a dream come true," Rumplestiltskin admitted placing his right hand over his heart.

Belle slipped off the end of the bed to go to him. Much as she had on that when they first kissed, she cupped his face, and smiled. "No more masks." She said touching the metal. Instantly the tendrils threaded through his hair receded allowing Belle to remove it. Gently she took it and placed it on the small bench at the foot of the bed. Looking back at him, the human side of him, Belle drew him in for a kiss all the while aware she still wore her mask. Stepping back, she brought her hands up to take the mask from her face when he stopped her. Instead, Rumple lightly touched the edge of the porcelain, waiting for the tendrils to retract, and then he removed it setting it next to the one he had worn. "I love you so much." She moaned setting her hands to the buttons of his vest.

Rumple's chest rose and fell rapidly as Belle pulled free the buttons of the vest. One by one the vest fell open revealing the midnight silk shirt. She pushed it off his shoulders, down his arms, and down to the floor. Her hands went to his waist, fingers digging into his shirt, and she tugged it free of the constricting leather band. Rumple growled in pleasure. His arms lifted above his head so she could push the silk up, but it was he who removed it the rest of the way dropping it to the floor where his vest was. Before he could put his hands back on her, Belle sank down to her knees putting her hand on his boots.

Belle rolled her gaze up along the line of his body seeing the look of apprehension and exhilaration. She put her hands under the folded leather of his boots where she knew the ties to be hidden. Belle tugged sharply and the laces came loose to where she could take them out until the leather fell away from his leg. She got him to raise his foot up so she could take the boot off. Then she repeated the same action on his left leg. Belle stood up, her hand sliding up his thighs, nails scouring the buttery soft leather until they cupped his backside.

Rumple grinned a wolfish grin maneuvering Belle to the bed. Her knees hit the edge and she plopped down. He sank down in front of her as she had. His fingers pulled free the ties of her stiletto heels. Soon, she too had no shoes on. Rumple leaned over her, resting his knee on the bed in between her parted legs, and he kissed her hard and fast. He helped her to slide up the mattress back into the center of the bed. His hands were at her hips as he stretched out over her where her knees came up to cradle his waist.

Belle felt her skin flush pink; her heart beat a thunderous tattoo in her chest as Rumple thoroughly kissed her. His weight settled over her, against her; his heart beating in time with hers. Belle ran her hands up his chest, tangling them in his hair keeping his lips to hers. Gently he started to rock against, the hardness of what made him a man pushed against her heated center."Oh… yes…" She moaned. "I want you."

Gold put hands on the mattress, levering himself up, to look down in her face, "I want you too," He gasped. Rumple placed his lips at her jaw moving down the side of her throat where her pulse thumped against his bottom lip, and on down to the valley between her breasts. Her skin was so warm. He kneeled pulling her up so he could slide the straps off her shoulders. Slowly the golden cloth fell down her creamy arms. The material pooled around her waist leaving him as naked from the waist up as he was. Gold then took his hands, sliding them down her thighs gathering the material up so he could remove it from her body.

Belle didn't know how to control her breathing, how to keep her chest from rising and falling rapidly just from his light touch alone. Rumple was barely touching her and she was already so turned on. She wanted to have him against her in the worst way. Lifting her arms up where he lifted the material of her dress up and over her head. Rumple got off the bed where he carefully draped the dress over the back of the chair in the other room. Belle brought her hair foreword to cover her until he came back. She had a moment to breathe easier.

Rumplestiltskin came to stand in front of Belle again as she had her head lowered and her hair falling around her like a veil. He reached out, using his index finger to tip her head back so she was looking at him again. The passion in her gaze had only intensified. Her hands reached out to the front closure of his pants. Gold knew he should stop her and just use magic to make them vanish, but this was what Belle wanted. She wanted to disrobe him. Then the zipper lowered and the constricting leather was being pealed down his hips. At that moment all rational thought left him. All he saw was Belle. All he felt were his hands on him. There was no world other than inside this room.

Belle pulled him back on to the bed with her after he shucked the leather of his pants. He was the perfect fit for her. They touched from his to hip, chest to chest. She was ready for him, had been ready to have inside of her since she had seen him back in his former attire. His hand fitted between them, fingers pushing into her easily. Belle pushed the back of her head into the mattress moaning so very loudly. Having moved his hand from her, Rumple watched her face the moment he started to push inside of her. Again she moaned arching her back, bringing her knees up higher on his hips. The rest of the world fell away.

Rumplestilskin forced his body to go slowly, even though he and Belle had made love before. There was still chance that he could hurt and he didn't want that. Inch by inch he sank into her having all the cares of the world, all the fears of his past just slip away. Belle could make him forget everything when he was with her. Rumple fit to her completely until the last inch of him was inside of her. Then he took a moment to see the look of ecstasy in Belle face. He was sure that his features mirrored hers as his chest fought to take in enough oxygen.

Belle fought to open her eyes, to see Rumplestiltskin above her. He felt so good, so right. His body to hers, her heart beating in time with his, and her soul mixing with his. This was true love. This was the life she knew she was meant to have. Inside of her, he started to pull out of her; the way his hard flesh scraped along the inside of her sent static racing along her nerves. Belle knew that her climax would be close to fireworks and she welcomed it.

Stilling himself, Rumple whispered, "Open your eyes." Before she could do so he kissed her closed eyelids, "Come on sweetheart, let me see you." He rolled his hips making her whimper in pleasure. Then her eye lids fluttered open so he could see the dazed, haze ridden look of pleasure in her gaze. His hunger grew hotter, burned brighter than it had. Rumple started to move, to slide in and out of her; slow at first. Belle brought her hands up, resting them on his chest. This time they were truly one; one heart and one soul. He never wanted to live without her again.

Belle felt like she was finally finding her place at Rumplestiltskin's side. He slid into her easily and she gripped him to keep him from leaving. That alone tore a full throated moan from him. Rumple may be the one on top, but Belle had the ability to drive him to shear insanity just as he was doing to her. Just as they found a rhythm, Rumple had to go and change it. He added a little roll to his hips that had Belle screaming out in pleasure. In and out adding a little roll had Belle losing her mind to the point where she couldn't feel anything but him.

Rumple was fighting off his release just a little while longer. He wanted to come when Belle did. He wanted to see her face when she spilled over into that endless abyss of euphoria. Belle was tossing her head from side to side and then she looked at him. Her breathing ragged, her chest heaving. Using his new found strength Rumple reared back going to his knees bringing Belle up against him. He kept his arms around her as she leaned back stretching out her long lean line of her torso for him. Gold angled his head capturing her right nipple in his mouth. Instantly Belle bowed against him as her inner muscles tightened around him.

Belle didn't know what to feel in that moment. He was buried so deep inside of her and now his hot mouth was at her breast, his tongue swirling around her erect bud. It was then that he felt the first stirrings of her release, the tightening low in her belly. She regained enough of her senses to take back some of the control. Belle draped her arms over his shoulders as she started to move in a counterpoint motion to him; rising up and down on him, falling over him like a wave. Until this moment she hadn't even realized that she had been shouting out in pleasure.

Rumple felt Belle tighten on him. She clutched at him when he took his mouth away from her breast. He held on to her in return, burying his face in her shoulder while her fingers held tight to his hair. Belle moved faster, taking him deeper and deeper. Together, they froze for an instant, that split second of calm before the storm. Then, everything happened. She tightened over him, her inner muscles flexing over him bringing him over the edge with her. Behind his closed lids Rumple saw stars exploding, felt fire coursing through his veins.

Belle shuddered against him, holding him close feeling the heat of his skin seep into hers. Her heart skipped a few beats, her breathing was labored, and her insides were shuddering from her fierce release. Idly she ran her fingers up and down his back feeling the slight rise of his spine. Belle was in no hurry to move from his arms, but she was starting to drift off. She was barely aware of him lowering her back down to the bed. Sleep took Belle then and the last she felt was Rumplestiltskin curling up with her resting her head on his chest so she could hear his heart.

**MORNING:**

Rumple was roused out of sleep by a furious pounding on his front door. Belle was still blissfully asleep and he wished to keep it that way. Kissing her lightly on the cheek, he carefully got out of bed using his magic to manifest clothes in the form of a pair of light weight black sleep pants and a black t-shirt. On bare feet he padded down the stairs, going to the front door where none other than Regina waited for him on his front porch. He bit back a snarl stepping aside to allow her to enter. There was no way he wanted to have and all out shouting match on his front porch. "What do you want, your Majesty?" Gold growled walking to his kitchen to start breakfast for him and Belle.

Regina was taken aback for a moment at the sight of Rumplestiltskin walking without his cane. She had grown used to the man being half of what he was and reliant upon the cane, that to see him now made her want to tread carefully. "You're walking…" She couldn't keep it from coming out of her mouth.

"Yes, dearie, that's what people do on two legs," He sniped, "They walk. Now, what do you want?" Gold turned to her and crossed his arms over his chest. Right now he wasn't overly fond to have the Queen in his house, but in her body language he could tell there was something deeply distressing she had to impart to him. The trick was getting her to the point and quickly.

"We have a serious problem." Regina put aside her hate and anger at Rumplestiltskin for the moment. "You know how Henry goes to that other realm," Gold nodded listening to her as she continued her tale. "Well, this time he spoke to the other person there. This girl had a message for us. Cora's coming here."


	8. Chapter 8

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: M

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

Belle woke in bed alone. Instantly she was back to that night when she found Rumple doing magic in the basement. Climbing out of bed, she pulled on his silk shirt. It whispered around her thighs as Belle buttoned two of the buttons to keep the shirt on her shoulders. She left the room going down the steps where she smelled breakfast cook. Belle felt foolish for jumping to conclusions. "Hey," She called out. "Is breakfast…?" Belle trailed off as she saw Regina standing in the kitchen with Rumple. "What's going on?"

Regina could have made a snide comment about the state f undress between Belle and Rumplestiltskin, but she was too worried about Henry at the moment. "I came here to ask for help from Rumplestiltskin. Something is happening to my son." Now was not the time for her to be the Evil Queen. She had to be Regina, the mother who was trying to win back her son through change and showing him that she could be a better person. "Will you help him or not?"

"Yes," Belle answered looking at Rumple. She could see that he was fighting back a sigh and an eye roll. "We'll help you." Before any more could be said, a knocking gained their attention. Belle suppressed a smile as she heard Rumple mutter 'Now what?' She went to the door where she found Dracula on the porch. Mina wasn't with him. "What's going on?"

"I was sent to retrieve Regina." He spoke trying not to feel like an errand boy when he was a King. "Mina is with him right now trying to get him to remember all that has happened in this room of fire." Dracula said seeing Regina in the kitchen. She was moving towards the door with half of the Ouroborus in her hand. Moving past Belle quickly he stood in front of Regina taking the half of a medallion out of her hand, "where did you get this?"

Regina made a move to snatch the gold half back, but Dracula was too tall for her. He held it easily out of her reach. "My son, I got it from him. He got it from your wife." She saw a flicker of something in his gaze. "Why?"

"Then she didn't give him the other half," Dracula dropped his arm keeping a tight grip on the shard. "This medallion…" He sighed. It was time for the truth. "It can open a doorway between your land and this one. Years ago, this very medallion was how my wife and I escaped death. Mina still has the other half."

**MARY-MARGARET'S APARTMENT:**

Mina stood with David as Henry sat on the edge of the bed looking at the pendant around his neck. "How long has he been dreaming of this fiery room?" She asked wishing there was something she could do. A young boy shouldn't have to be put in such a position.

"He was under a sleeping curse to convince his mother that magic was real." David answered watching Henry. "My daughter, Emma, broke this curse holding the town o the mercy of Regina. The curse was meant for Emma but Henry saved her and she freed him."

"Emma is with your wife?" Mina asked.

"Yes," David heaved a sigh. "I wish I could help them get home."

Mina rocked back and forth on her custom made boots, "What if I could give you that way?" She lifted her left foot off the ground to pry the heel off where the second half of the Ouroborus was hidden. "I only gave him half of the medallion I carried." She handed the other half to David, "Now I understand how great your need is for this. It pales in comparison to my desire to return home." David took the shard just as the door opened with Dracula, Regina, Rumplestiltskin, and Belle walking inside.

Dracula saw David with the other shard and saw Mina as she nodded at him. "Here, you will need this too." Handing over the half he warned, "Do not join the pieces yet. Your family will not know to come through." Then he looked to the boy, "Can you relay a message? Could you tell them there is a way to bring them home?"

Regina and Mina spoke at once, "No!" Both women looked at each other and Mina inclined her head to let Regina speak. "He's just a boy. You can't send him back to that fiery inferno."

"I could help." Mina offered. "I can compel into the deep sleep, but I can also suggest that flames won't hurt him." She looked over at the boy and left the circle of people. No one had asked Henry what he wanted to do. "If I could make it safe for you, so you won't get hurt, would you consider going back to that place?"

"You could do that?" Henry asked looking at his arm where the burn had been. For weeks he had wanted to help more, to show that he could contribute. Now he had his chance. "I want to help."

"Henry, this is dangerous," Regina counseled her son.

"I can do this." He argued. "They're my family. I have to try." Henry saw the flash of hurt in his mother's eyes. He hadn't meant to sound cruel, but he wanted Emma and Mary-Margaret back.

"I can make it so he remains unharmed." Mina added. She stood up and went to Regina. The urge to compel her was getting stronger and stronger, but she resisted. "I can compel Henry and travel with him into this world to make sure no harm comes to him." Mina left out that she would take the damage to protect the boy.

"Can you really do that?" David asked. If she couldn't guarantee 100% that she should keep Henry from harm then they would find another way. "If you can't, say so now, and we'll find another way."

"I can," Mina replied. "I'm stronger in this world because of the magic."

"Mina… don't…" Dracula warned. He was unsure as to what would happen to his wife should she try this. "Please…."

"We have to help," Mina stated with her hands on her hips. "We've fed on these people and now comes time to pay for that with our assistance." She crossed the room to stand in front of him. "_Please, let me help him? Let me help someone's son, like I could never help ours._" Mina spoke in their native tongue calling on the memory of the death of the son she had never carried. It was the son Elisabetta and Dracula would never have seen age to a man. She was gifted and cursed with those memories.

"_I love you so much._" He took a shaky breath in. "_The last time you did this you were unconscious for three days._" Dracula had been terrified that Mina wouldn't come back to him. Now he was faced with feeling that way again, but he could not deny her the chance to help the people they have come to know and regard as friends. Mina saw the boy in the same light she as saw the son they hadn't had the chance to raise. "_Be very careful._" He warned kissing her forehead lovingly.

"_I always am,_" Mina replied hugging him closer. She had a terrible feel in the pit of her stomach that should she do this, something terrible would be in store for her. Though, it wasn't enough of a bad feeling to compel her back out. Henry was a child in need of her help and she had already offered it to him. Stepping away from her husband Mina went back to the bed where Henry was lying down.

"What happens now?" Henry asked turning on his side to look at Mina as she sat on the floor. "I want to help, but I'm…"

"Scared?" Mina asked. "It's ok to be scared. I'm sure your mom, your grandfather are scared too. But, you're being very brave going back into this realm willingly." She said gently reaching out to take his hand. "Now, Henry, I want to you look in my eyes." Letting the chains to her powers fall away, Mina used the full force of her abilities. "You can feel my influence lulling you into sleep. When you close your eyes you'll be back in this world, but I will be there as well. The flames you encounter will not harm you." Mina kept her voice light, her eyes on Henry as his gaze grew heavy. Then his lids closed bringing the both of them into sleep.

Henry was once again back in this fiery realm with his hands in Mina's. He felt none of the heat from the flames that he had previously when he was here. "Aurora!" Henry shouted over the flames. He could hardly make her out. "Aurora, are you there!"

"Henry!"

"Can you tell Emma and Mary-Margaret that there is a way to bring them home?" Henry shouted trying to see Aurora, but the flames were getting bigger and bigger. He could barely make out what Aurora had said when he was woken up, in his bed with his grandfather and mother staring at him. Henry looked away from them to see Mina sprawled on the floor, her arms badly burned. "What happened?"

On the floor Mina tried to fight back the moans of pain she was feeling. Her arms had gotten burned while she protected Henry in the other realm. These were serious burns that she would not be able to heal on her own; she needed blood. Dracula was with her trying not to touch her arms. "I need blood." Mina gasped flexing her fingers sending pain shoot up her ravaged nerve endings and into her brain.

"Feed on me," Belle came over next to Mina. "Take mine." She offered her wrist taking a glance at Mina and then back to Rumple. He stood there with a mask in place. In his eyes she saw that he didn't want her to do this, but it was her choice.

Dracula twisted at the waist to look at Regina, David, and Henry. "You should take the young man out of here. He should not see this." He suggested gently. Most of him felt comfortable with Belle offering up her blood to help heal his wife, only, there was a small niggling voice counseling against it. "Blood is no sight for a child."

Regina agreed. Smiling at Henry lightly she said, "Come on, I'll buy you breakfast at Granny's." Then she gazed at David, "You too if you want." Regina offered.

"No, but thank," David shook his head. "I'll stay here in case something happens."

"Grandpa, please…" Henry went to David and hugged him. David mussed his hair and smiled down at him. The three of them moved to the door and left the others alone.

Mina stared up at Belle, "You don't want to do this." She tried to get Belle to change her mind, "It will hurt as I can't dull the pain. I'm too weak." Without the use of her hands, Mina was stuck lying on her back. She had taken too much damage in an attempt to keep Henry from harm and she had succeeded. Henry was safe.

"Mina, you've helped me so much since you came here." Belle argued gently. "Let me help you this time." She moved the sleeve of Rumple's shirt up exposing her wrist. Mina reacted; her eyes going immediately to the blue vein. Belle should have been afraid at seeing the predatory look in her friend's eyes, but she had seen that look before."Go ahead." Mina looked to Dracula and then back to her wrist. Belle sat behind Mina, letting the wounded vampire rest against her. Then, fangs pierced her flesh. Belle yelped, but then forced herself to remain silent.

Mina drank, tasting something different in Belle's blood. It tasted sweeter than anything she had ever had before, including Regina's blood. She could feel the seared flesh of her arms healing the more blood she drank. Crouched down in front of her was her loving husband wearing a mask of concern, his eyes grew dark with worry. The haze of the blood quickly faded and she could tell something was happening to her. Mina broke the connections she had with Belle. It was then that she felt her heart try to beat for the first time since she had died. Pain exploded in her chest. Her lungs fought for oxygen. Mina tried to breathe, tried to remember how her chest rose and fell naturally. "Dra…cu… la…." Mina fought to say his name between desperate breaths. "Help!"

Belle fell to the side clutching her wrist to her chest. Rumple was there; his hand moved over the wound and it was healed. She looked up at him, "What's happening to her?" Belle asked feeling confused. "What did I do to her?" She was near to tears watching Mina twitch on the floor and whimper in pain.

Dracula turned to Rumplestiltskin, "Stay with her, but do not touch her." leaning over Mina he gained her attention through the intense pain she was feeling, "Mina, I'm going to go and get Victor so he can help you. Hang on until I return." He could hear her heart laboring to pump blood through her veins. With his great speed he was out of the apartment searching the town for Victors heart beat.

Belle pulled away from Rumple still light headed going to where Mina now lay unmoving on the floor. She twitched and gasped, whimpered and moaned in pain. "Mina," Belle whispered reaching out to touch her hand. She felt heat on Mina's skin. "What have I done? Mina… I'm sorry." Tears fell down Belle's cheeks.

Mina tried to back away from Belle. It was her blood that had done this to her. "Get… away… from… me…" She sputtered. Her chest still fought to rise and fall in a normal manner. Mina wasn't cut out to be human. It was why she had given up her human life so she could be happy. Now she was plunged back into this world of death where she would be condemned to die each day by slow degrees. "You… did… this…"

The door breezed open with Dracula coming through it, going to his wife, and bringing her into his arms so Victor could help her. Already her skin was so warm; her heart beat steadily, skipping on a few beats. She was even breathing even shaky breaths. "My most precious life…" His voice was thick with emotion. Dracula wanted to cry in this moment as he felt his wife being taken from him all over again. "Victor help her…" He pleaded.

Victor looked down at Mina seeing a rosy hue appear on her cheeks. "I can't. Somehow she's alive… again." Turning he saw Belle wiping away tears. "I assume you did this, not on purpose I know, but this is because of you?" Belle nodded falling back into Gold's touch. "I can't help her," He stood back out of fear what the No Life King would do to him. "She's alive and you're dead." Victor pointed out. "You'll have to wait until Belle's blood is fully worked out of her system before you turn her again."

Dracula snarled. He stood with Mina in his arms holding her close. Belle came to stand in front of him looking tortured, in pain, and guilt ridden. "This is not your fault. You did not know." It was the best he could do right now. To fully absolve the guilt Belle was feeling Dracula would have to let go of his anger. That would take days. He hadn't meant for his voice to be cold, but it had none the less. Belle bowed her head moving out of his way so he could leave.

Gold held open his arms for Belle. She came into them burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her; one arm around her waist and his left hand cupped the back of her head. Lightly he kissed the top of her head over and over as Belle cried. Gold watched Victor then. He could see despair on the Doctor's face. To Belle he whispered, "It's alright sweetheart."

"I did this…" Belle sobbed. "How did I do this?" She looked up at him through the tears in her eyes. Belle just wanted to understand why she had hurt her friend in such a way without even knowing that she could. Belle couldn't believe that this was because of her. There had been such coldness in Dracula's eyes, when just last night there had been warmth and happiness. "Why did I do this to her?"

"I have no answers for you, darling, but I will figure it out," Rumplestiltskin pulled her back into his arms kissing the top of her head, "I promise." And he would figure it out if not for Mina's sake, then for Belle's peace of mind. His love could never intentionally hurt anyone and now that she had it was destroying her sweet innocent soul. "Whatever happened, it will be undone in a few days." He whispered rocking back and forth to try and soothe away her tears.

Victor motioned to Gold that he was leaving. The Dark One waved him away as his hands were full with Belle. He could understand that as he wanted to be with Mina to be comforting her and making sure that her restoration went smoothly. Before he knew it Victor was back at his house having walked all the way. Inside, he could hear Mina screaming out in pain. Grabbing his medic's bag he raced up stairs to her where Dracula was trying to hold her down to the bed. "What happened?!"

"I do not know!" Dracula shouted. "She just started thrashing and screaming in pain." he moved aside to let Victor examine her. The Doctor delved into his bag pulling out a vial of morphine and a needle. Giving her the maximum safe dose, Victor stuck the needle in Mina's arm. A few minutes later she was unconscious. "What is happening to her?" Dracula asked.

"I don't know. Somehow she is alive again through Belle's blood," Victor said, "But how that is even possible, I don't know." His shoulders slumped as he sat looking down at Mina. "My lord, I wish I knew what was happening to her." Standing up, Victor looked at Dracula, "I will find out, believe me." He placed his hand over his heart and half bowed showing respect to the king in his midst.

"You had better, not just for Mina's sake, but for yours." Dracula reminded. "Mina is the only thing between you and death." The No Life King had never truly understood Mina's affection for Frankenstein, but then again he didn't have to. She was his wife and Mina was the softer side of his soul. Then he heaved a sigh, "Forgive me, you are only trying to help her." Dracula went back to the bed to sit next to his wife. Again, holding her hand, he was still shocked at how warm her hand was with her blood flowing through her veins once more. This time tears flowed freely from his eyes.

**GRANNY'S DINER:**

Gold had brought Belle to Granny's Diner knowing that his love would want the comfort of her best friend right now. Ruby managed to give Belle what he couldn't and that was fine with him. He knew that he couldn't be all things to her; this comfort wasn't something he could give her. When they entered the diner, Regina, David, and Henry were still eating and talking with the grandmother wolf while Ruby was behind the counter.

Belle let go of Rumplestiltskin to drift over to the counter; her eyes finally dry of all tears. She was still in shock, still guilt ridden, over what had happened to Mina. How had she been able to do that? Belle went around the counter and right into Ruby's arms needing the feel of her best friend more so than the arms of her lover. "Oh, Ruby…" She wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist burying her face against the forest smell of her wolf friend's hair.

Ruby held Belle, "What happened?" She asked casting her gaze to Rumplestiltskin who just closed his eyes and lowered his head. "It's ok…" Ruby soothed. "It's going to be alright." Gently she swayed back and forth with Belle in her arms. Whatever had happened it was bad enough for Belle to seek her comfort rather than Rumplestiltskin's. One thing Ruby knew for certain was that there was no discord between Belle and the Dark One. If there had been there would be nothing to stop Ruby from hurting Gold if he had brought Belle to tears.

David got up from the table and went to the man of magical means. "What happened?" He asked seeing a strange look cross the immortals face. It was a look he wasn't sure had ever crossed the Dark One's face. "Is Mina…?" David couldn't bring himself to say the word dead. He looked back to Regina who watched him with a curious gaze, eager to know the fate of the female vampire who had helped them when she hadn't needed to.

"No, something far worse," Rumplestiltskin growled looking over at Belle who still clung to Ruby. "When Belle offered Mina blood to heal, we were unaware that Belle's blood held a magical application." He took a deep breath keeping his eyes on his love. She had started to cry again while Ruby whispered soft soothing words to her. "Mina fed from Belle, but the blood made Mina human." Gold said.

"How could something like that happen to her?" Regina asked coming out of the booth to stand next to David. She was more than a little invested in Mina than she should be. After all, the girl stirred certain urges inside of her that she would never have known without the beautiful vampire.

Gold sighed wearily, "I'm not sure how this could happen to Mina. I didn't know Belle's blood held magically properties. Though, admittedly, I don't deal in blood magic." He replied looking at Regina.

"Do they know how to… uh… fix her?" David wasn't completely sure what the right question would be to ask in this situation. He hadn't really had a chance to get to know the vampire, not like Rumplestiltskin, or Belle, or even Ruby. Those three seem so taken with the two new arrivals in this cursed town.

"Victor is with her now. Hopefully he will have more answers," Rumple answered. His heart was drawing him to Belle, "Excuse me." He said walking over to the counter where Ruby and Belle were. Gold sat on one of the bar stools. "Belle?" Rumple stretched his arm out offering her his hand to take. "It's really going to be alright. Mina won't stay this way for long."

"What if she blames me?" Belle asked, her head pillowed on Ruby's shoulder looking at Rumple. That alone was her single greatest fear; Mina would hold her responsible for what happened. Belle let go of Ruby and took Rumplestiltskin's hand. "I want to see her." Belle pushed back the next wave of tears.

Gold tightened his hand on Belle's, "You will, when she's… better." He desperately wanted to believe what he was telling her. Mina had done nothing but help him, help Belle, and she had even helped young Henry when he had to go back to that dream world. The price she had to pay was too great.

"I want to her to know that I didn't mean this." Belle bit her bottom lip. "Mina must be furious at me." That was what she feared the most. Belle didn't want her new friend to be angry over a transgression she never knew she could commit.

"I'm sure she's not angry at you sweetheart," Gold soothed. "There was no way you could know this would be the outcome of her feeding on you." He tried to be there, to resist using his magic to take away the guilt she was feeling. Belle would never forgive him.

**VICTOR'S HOUSE:**

Dracula had not left Mina's side for the hours that she had been lost to the waking world. Deep in sleep her body moved, her breathing changed, even her heart had fluttered. Never had he heard a more joyous sound. Dracula had longed to once again hear the steady beat of his beloved's heart as it beat soundly in her chest once more; that want, that desire had shamed him on more than once occasion as he had looked upon his wife with love in his eyes. If he had not turned her then he would have lost her to the rigors of time. To lose her again would kill him. Dracula would have been plunged back into the darkness once more. Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a chaste kiss to her newly warmed skin where he could feel the beat of her pulse in her wrist and feel the flow of blood in the veins along the back of her hand. "Come back to me." He begged.

Victor had been standing in the hall watching the great No Life King tend to his beloved human queen. It broke is heart to see his adopted sister in such a state. She never wanted to be human and yet here she was, her heart was beating strongly in her breast as she drew vital breath into her lungs. There would be a storm of raging violence when Mina woke. Victor would stand idly by and let her. This was his house, but the wooden walls meant nothing to him. He was just bidding his time until he could return to his realm, his castle, and to his brother. "You know when she wakes she is going to be furious?" He asked stepping into the room to make his presence known. "We would be wise to take cover and leave her to her destructive temper."

Dracula shook his head and scoffed, "Yes, we would be wise to be absent, but…" He craned his neck to look back over his shoulder at Victor, "I am an immortal fool and I will be here when my wife wakes to make sure she hears that she is once again human from loving lips." He snarled. "If you wish to run and hide then I am not stopping you." Dracula turned back to Mina who still slept deeply.

Victor moved around the side of the bed to sit beside her. "I said we would be "wise" to leave, not that we were as we are both still here." He took her other hand marveling at the life he could see in her skin, in the rosy cheeks she now had. "I know you despise me, but Mina is the only other family I have and I can't lose her." Victor sighed stroking his thumb over the back of her hand wishing Mina would wake p so he could look into her vivid green eyes.

Dracula had been dreading the time when she would wake, "When will I be able to turn her again? He asked needing to know, though not fully certain that her would kill her a second time. Dracula wanted his wife, but he wanted her to be alive, to be a vision of mortality, to be truly beautiful to his eyes because she was fragile, because she was mortal.

"I'm not sure, perhaps two days." Victor answered looking at the Count, "You can't leave her human, you know that." He pointed out. "Mina only knows being a vampire." There was this lingering sense in the air that Dracula preferred his wife mortal. Victor would council against it. Mina was stable, vivacious, but she was the perfect vampire. It was all she knew and all he knew her as.

"Do you think I am ignorant of such?" Dracula snarled at Victor. "She is my wife and the Vampire I made her to be." Then his shoulders slumped, "But if I could have her human if only for a few days I would relish the time given us. The choice is always hers even though I know what she will chose." It was what he feared but also what gave him joy. Mina would be with him forever, but she would forever be in the shadow of darkness cursed to kill and to hunt humans for food even though she had yet to take a life. There was always the chance she would lose control.

Mina fought the heavy veil of sleep that kept her held fast to the world of dreams and of nightmares. It had been too long since she had even dreamed. Why would they start now? She tried to open her eyes to find the loving face of her husband and to dispel this terrible feeling she had. The last thing Mina remembered was drinking from Belle and then a terrible pain started in her chest. _Thump thump_. Mina felt her heart beat. She opened her eyes, bolting up in bed putting her hand to her heart to feel the evidence that she truly walked with the living again. "No, no, no, no, no…. this is not happening!" She screamed.

Dracula backed away from the bed with Victor following suit. He could only wait until she addressed him to explain what happened. Until then he would fall silent and let his beloved rage and curse and throw things if she needed. If good fortune smiled upon him then Mina would quickly come back from her anger to listen to what he had to say. He hoped he was that lucky. Right now Mina was staring at her hands as if they didn't belong to her. She cocked her head from side to side taking un even breaths that, in sleep, had comes naturally to her.

Mina hardly believed what she was feeling. Air filled her lungs. Blood flowed through her veins. Her heart was beating as strongly as it had on the day she died willingly. When she had woken she had been angry but now she was confused, "What happened to me?" She snarled looking up at Dracula and then to Victor. "WHAT?!" Mina screamed looking once more to her hands. She could feel the blood flowing through her body bringing life to her and bringing heat.

Dracula came to the bed, sitting in the same spot to face Mina, "My most precious life," He sighed, "You must listen to me." He reached out to cup her face, to bring her eyes to his. "When you fed from Belle, her blood carried with it the ability to make you human." Mina was about to speak, to rage, and to curse, but he stopped her. "We do not know how this happened," He leaned his forehead to hers, "But I want you to know I will make this right when I can."

Mina glared, "Where is she?" she asked with deadly intent. Rage blinded her to all other thoughts. Belle was the cause of her current state of living. How was she to cope being like this? In the back of her mind a small voice, barely a whisper, told her this was not Belle's fault. The young woman had no knowledge of what he blood could do. Logically Mina agreed, but she was not thinking with logic, she was angry and needed the warm hot rage that boiled through her. If she didn't have it then she would have spiraled down into depression.

"Mina…" Dracula soothed. If he told Mina where Belle was there was a good chance that his beloved would go straight there riding the waves of anger and things would escalate until Mina had damaged her new found friendship with the honest young woman.

"Where?" Mina snarled. She could see that Dracula knew where Belle was. All Mina wanted to do was to go and ask Belle what had possessed her to offer blood so freely when it would turn a vampire human. Mina couldn't be human. She didn't know how to be one after so many years of being dead, being dependant on blood and of the night. Right now, Mina felt small, she felt like prey, and she hated that feeling.


	9. Chapter 9

Summary: A freak violent storms kicks up and brings a new face to Storybrooke

Disclaimer: I own nothing of OUAT

Rating: M

Pairing: Rumplestiltskin and Belle

**A VAMPIRE IN STORYBROOKE: **

Victor managed to make it down the stairs before Mina as she was human and no longer possessed vampiric speed. He braced the door with his body and let her glare him down without so much as a flinch. "You're not leaving this house." Victor stated. It was true that he had no love for Rumplestiltskin or for Belle, but he knew Mina. If she went after Belle in a fit of anger it would come back to haunt her later. That h would not see. She was his sister. Victor had to spare her when she would not spare herself.

Mina snarled, "Get out of my way!" Still Victor did not budge. She put her hands on the door knob beside his hip and pulled. The door opened but Victor fell back against it closing it again. "MOVE!" Mina shouted dropping her hands and stomping her foot. "I want out of this house."

"If you go after Belle now as angry as you are, you will regret it," Victor spoke gently. "You adore that young girl, don't destroy her." He pleaded and hoped that some of what he was saying permeated that anger addled brain of hers. "Don't do this. She doesn't deserve your anger."

Mina fisted her hands in Victors shirt trying to use the strength she no longer had to make him move. "She DID this to me." Mina shrieked. "She MADE me HUMAN!" She shouted putting her face close to his and adding emphasis to two of the words. Her resolve left her and she crumpled to the floor. Victor sank down gathering her close to let her cry. She was human. She was truly human. She was weak and frail. Mina was dying each day all over again. "I'm not meant to be human." She sobbed into Victor shoulder.

Dracula watched, helpless to comfort the woman he loved, as she cried against the shoulder of a man she took to her heart and called brother. It should be him holding Mina. It should be him soothing away her tears. It should be him. Dracula made a move to do just that when he froze again. No, it was better that it was Victor holding her. He was alive after all. If Dracula was to go to her, then he would remind her of all that she lost. She was no longer the woman she had been for centuries. At his sides, Dracula clenched his hands into fists.

"Why?!" Mina shouted, sobbing over and over again. She didn't want to be human. Humans were frail creatures that were nothing more than prey. She was a hunter, the top of the food chain. She was the wife and Queen to Dracula. "I don't want to be human. I can't be human." She buried her face in Victor's shoulder. "Make it stop, Victor…" Mina sobbed shaking from the force of her tears. "Make it stop."

Victor tightened his hold on his beloved sister. "I'm sorry, I can't." He lowered his head giving her all the brotherly comfort that he could. "If I could take this from you then I would. I would make you a vampire again, but that power does not lie with me." He looked up at Dracula, "That alone is the power of your loving husband." Victor looked up at Dracula and for the first time he saw shame reflected in the man's eyes.

Dracula took that moment to take his leave. It broke his heart to see Mina so sad and knowing that he could not do anything to change her fate. This was the time he should go and visit Jefferson. He wanted a word with the Mad Hatter about the first night Mina had come to this land. Dracula was assaulted with images of Mina feeding from Jefferson in the most intimate way. He could see the Hatter's hands cupping his wife's breasts. A deep rage burned through him hot and explosive. Slipping quietly out of the back door to Victor's house, Dracula went in search of the Hatter.

Back inside the house Victor managed to get Mina to stand. She had been asleep for hours and hours without food or water. Now that she was human her body would demand food. "Come on, you need to eat something." He said in a whisper. There would be no way in this life or in the next that he would allow Mina's life to be forfeit while he could do something about it. He wouldn't see her die of starvation.

"I want blood." Mina walked with the aid of Victor. Her legs were weak to the point she couldn't support herself. "I want to be a vampire again." She whined. There was nothing in the human world, the human life that held sway over her heart, over her mind anymore. She couldn't be human. She couldn't be limited. "Give me blood." Mina demanded.

"No." Victor stated forcefully.

"I want blood." Mina growled.

"I don't care." Victor dropped her on one of the bar stools so he could have his hands free to make her something light. "You're going to eat some toast so you have food on your stomach." He told her with an edge of a snarl.

"I don't want toast." Mina crossed her arms over her chest.

Victor turned back to her, "I don't care. You're going to eat." She fell silent allowing him to get back to making her two slices of toast. It wouldn't overwhelm her system in such a manner that she would get sick from food. Two minutes later the toast had popped out of the toaster lightly golden brown. He added butter, put them on a small plate, and set the plate in front of Mina.

Mina glared at the plate pushing it away from her. The smell alone turned her stomach. "I don't want it." Victor pushed the plate back in front of her with an imposing male glare. Toeing the line of her luck, Mina shoved the plate away. "Read my lips, I do not want that." She stated.

"You have to eat or you'll starve." Victor pointed out picking up the plate and setting it in front of her with a loud thud. "Now eat damnit!"

Mina, out of defiance, picked up a slice of toast and threw it at Victor. It went down the open gap of his button up shirt. He reacted bending back and letting the toast fall out of the bottom of his shirt. She was too enraged to laugh even though the sight before her was funny.

"Fine… starve." Victor growled picking up the toast to put in the trash can. He walked out of the kitchen and back up to his bedroom to change shirts. Anger rode him, but he could hardly blame Mina.

Mina glared at the toast suddenly feeling the intense need to eat. Her stomach clenched in pain. She ran her tongue over her teeth out of habit wishing for her fangs to appear to give credence to the thought that this was all a terrible dream, but her teeth remained normal. Reaching out, Mina took the other slice of toast in her hand and brought it to her lips. Quickly she took bite before putting the bread back on the plate. Slowly she closed her jaws starting to chew. The crunching sound was so loud in her mind but the food tasted good. Mina swallowed.

Victor came back down stairs to try and get Mina to eat again, but when he stood in the kitchen doorway he saw her deflated, eating the piece of toast. Guilt took him for how cruel he had been to her. "Mina?" He stepped into view. "I'm sorry." She was his sister after all, his adopted family.

Mina swallowed the last bit of toast she had eaten. "I'm sorry too." She slid down off the bar stool and went to him. Like a sister, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pillowed her head on his shoulder hugging. "I'm really sorry."

Victor hugged her in return, "It's not your fault." He kissed the top of her head. "Now, if you promise to behave, I'll take you to see Belle."

**JEFFERSON'S HOUSE:**

Dracula stood on the wide porch looking at the door that Mina had gone through the night she had come to Storybrooke. If he closed his eyes he could see Mina walking up the stairs, entering Jefferson's bedroom, and he could see her taking off her vest, her shirt. He could see Jefferson's hands cupping Mina's breasts, his fingers playing with her hardened nipples. Dracula could even recall the sensual way in which Mina had fed on Jefferson due the scar that went around his neck. Some of his anger cooled knowing that the Hatter had lost his head.

Jefferson was gathering his considerable courage to open his front door to the Count standing out in the sun. He knew why the undead man was here. It was about Mina. Dracula had finally come to collect his head or maybe his heart. Jefferson opened the door asking, "Are you here to kill me?" A 'Hi, how are you?' would have been more polite, but when you deal with vampires normalcy was not to be expected.

"I thought about it," Dracula mimicked a sigh, "But, no, I am not here to kill you." He looked beyond Jefferson to the stairs leading to the second floor. Even as it was days ago he could still smell the faint traces of his wife within the walls of the house. "I only wanted to see the house my wife visited so she may feed on its owner." Immediately his eyes rested on the scarf Jefferson wore. "I know what happened to you and why you did not want her dark kiss to mar your already scarred neck."

"You wouldn't be on your own," Jefferson pointed out. "Something has happened, hasn't it?" Stepping out to the porch Jefferson closed the front door, "What's wrong with Mina?"

"Somehow, through a twist of fate or cruelty, Mina was made human when she fed from Belle" Dracula answered looking Jefferson in the eyes. "She'll need a friend like you to get her through these next couple of days." Turning away without giving the Hatter time to reply, he left the porch and followed his dwindling link to the woman he loved. He would have thought to still feel her at Victor's house, but no, they were in town. "What now?" Dracula grumbled racing off for town.

**GRANNY'S DINER:**

Mina had seen through the window that Belle was in a booth with Rumplestiltskin resting her head on his shoulder. She could tell that the innocent young woman had been crying. Maybe it was true what they were all saying. Belle really didn't know what her blood could do. She had made a move to go through the door but Victor held tight to her hand. "Let go of my hand." Mina whispered.

"Behave." Victor warned. "Your venom is last thing that girl needs. She's already torn up enough about what happened between you." He kissed Mina on the top of her head. "I would suggest that you that you school your features into a mask of repentance and contriteness."

"Can't I just feel bad?" Mina asked letting the pain of her own show. "Cause, I already feel retched inside." Through the window she saw Belle being comforted by Rumplestiltskin and it made her heart ache for knowing that she made the young woman feel the need to seek such public comfort. Had she truly been that horrible to her when she had been turning into a human? All Mina could hope for was that Belle didn't loathe her. Her heart felt heavy with sorrow for all that she had done in such a short time.

Victor sucked in a deep breath, "As long as you make it show on your face." He moved away from her, opening the door so Mina could go through but he made sure to remain by the door to let things play out. Victor knew his sister she was rational, she was caring, and she would not hurt Belle out of vengeance.

Mina bowed her head, let the normally teasing smile fall from her lips as she walked into Granny's, towards Belle. Even without her vampiric powers, Mina could taste the sorrow, the remorse on the air between her and Belle. Tears came to her eyes as she stood at the table where Belle sat. Mina's shoulders shook, "Belle…" Tears fell again. "I'm sorry, please forgive me."

Belle looked at Rumple and then slid out of the booth placing her hands on Mina's cheeks. "You have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who should be sorry." Belle breathed in and then said, "It is I who should ask for your forgiveness. I did this to you and I…" She was cut off by Mina pulling her into a tight, human, embrace.

Mina spoke low, "You have nothing to apologize for," The former vampire hugged her friend as tight as she could, "You didn't know and I was wrong to lash out at you." It had never been her intention for Belle to bear the brunt of her anger, of the fear welling inside of her, as she endured deep pain. "All you did was to try and help me." Mina pulled back and plastered a smile on her face.

Belle had imagined a wave of rage and words of venom coming from the now human vampire. She hadn't expected Mina to be forgiving, but she had hoped for it. "You forgive me?"

"Always and completely," Mina answered without hesitation. "Do you forgive me?" She would understand if Belle couldn't bring herself to bestow forgiveness upon her. After all she had been rather cruel in blaming Belle, in claiming that it was her fault. Those words she never have touched her tongue and spilled from her lips.

Belle smiled, wiped away the tears on Mina's face and answered, "Always and completely," She knew the situation was far from resolved; Mina had yet to become a vampire again. "I wish there was something I could do to undo this."

Mina shook her head, "No," she sighed, "I get to remember what it's like to be human." A strange feel fell over her for the first time in centuries. "Human?" The word held new meaning to her, a new sense of life; a doom. "I'm human and…" Mina looked at Belle who just hugged her again. She looked at Rumplestiltskin, who breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone around them seemed to ease. Then sensing him, Mina pulled back from Belle to see her loving, immortal, husband standing with Victor. He too eased. In her native tongue she asked, "_Did you think I would hurt her?_"

Dracula replied, "_I know you are capable of such fury and violence._" It was blanket statement. He knew that she was capable of killing, but he knew that she wouldn't, just as he knew that Mina would never harm Belle intentionally. Dracula had to be here to make sure of it. Mina was human and humans were prone to many things.

Mina stepped away from Belle to go to Dracula. She hadn't been angry before, but now she was. Standing in front of him she whispered, "_You want violence?_" Mina raised her hand and slapped him hard across the cheek. Dracula's head snapped to the side. "_There, you have violence._" She moved past him and out into the sunlight not fearing the scorching waves of pain that normally would have torn through her. Mina looked to her hands not seeing the day light marks upon her skin. The palm of her hand stung with the force she had exerted slapping her husband. She had the feeling that when it came time to make her a vampire again, Mina felt that he wouldn't turn her again.

Inside, Rumplesiltskin kissed Belle on the cheek before going over to Dracula. "I assume whatever that was that it was directed at you and not because of Belle." He didn't want to resume being tense around two people he was calling his friends. They had come to an astonishing friendship in such a short amount of time without thinking of what could happen. Rumple couldn't have foreseen Mina turning human.

Dracula nodded trying not to feel the sting to his skin. "Yes, I was worried that she would… cause harm… to your young flower." He inclined his head to Belle feeling wave after wave of guilt come upon him. Then, Dracula did the one thing he did not think he could do, "May I ask…" He bit his tongue and then berated himself for being foolish. "I need… advice…"

Rumple reached out placing his hand on the other immortal's shoulder, "I don't know how much help I could be, but I'll try." He knew people were watching him, holding their breath as to what he would do. But he was tired of being swayed by the Rumpelstiltskin people expected him to be. "Let's go somewhere to talk." He offered looking out to door to see if Mina still lingered. She was gone. "I do know the pain of having the woman you love angry at you."

"How did you and Belle get through it?" Dracula asked as they stepped out into the light. Unlike the woman he loved more than his undead life he did not need the marks to keep the sun at bay. He was the first, the progenitor of the Vampire Race.

"In some ways we haven't yet, but in others we are learning how to be together again." Rumple headed towards his shop. "When I got Belle back after having thought her dead I was too shocked," he sighed. "She had been taken from me as a pawn to be used at a later date. When I realized who had taken her I wanted to lash out, to claim vengeance, and I would have done so had Belle not caught on to what I was doing. She threatened to leave me, and she did for a while, but then," Rumple shook his head still amazed that she had come back, "Belle came back to me."

"That does not make you happy though," Dracula noticed hearing the note of sadness in his friend's voice. There were times he had searched and searched for ways to make Mina human, but in their land, to do so would have made her little more than prey. Mina hated the feeling of being weak.

"I've tried to release her from me, but she…" Rumple smiled, chuckling, and looking to the sky. "That woman of mine, she still see's the good in me even though I can't see it in myself." He stopped looking to Dracula, "You and Mina have something that I have not see in three hundred years and I never would have dreamt of having what you two have until I laid eyes upon my darling Belle."

"How do you keep from wanting to set her free?" Dracula asked. He had been giving serious thought to drinking from Belle, to making himself human so he could have a real life with Mina. In time, maybe she would come to see this as a good thing. He hoped, at least. When Mina was used to something, getting her to change her way of life was difficult. Though, he had an easy time, well, relatively easy time, of getting her to be a vampire. How would she react to his choice of wanting to be human with her?

"I look into her eyes and see all the love she has for me." Rumpelstiltskin answered. Though, he could see that his words were having the opposite effect on his friend. "Whatever you do, think carefully." He said. Dracula had a certain look in his eye that Rumple knew from his own reflection. His vampiric friend was set on a course that could mean trouble for him.

**THAT NIGHT:**

Victor sat on the front porch of his house listening to things being thrown, to shouts, to curses in Romanian that he tried not to understand but it was hard due to the fact that Mina had taught him the language years ago. Earlier in the evening Dracula had come wanting to offer Mina a solution to the current obstacle in front of them. Unfortunately it wasn't the solution she wanted to here and a volatile fight had ensued which led to Victor sitting out here enjoying the night air listening to his house be torn apart by a very angry wife. World War III was happening in his house and he as marginally safe outside listening to it. All Victor would have to do would be to remain outside and he wouldn't lose any vital limbs. Unlike last time. Just that thought alone made him shudder.

Inside Mina threw heavy text book at her husband. "_How can you think this is the right course to take?!_" She shrieked. "_We have been together for nearly 200 years and now you want to be human?!_" Mina threw another text book at him where it connected with his left shoulder. "_You never once hinted that you were unhappy!_" That had to be what hurt Mina the most. Dracula wanted to be human, now, all of a sudden because of one accident in drinking Belle's blood. If she had known that he had been so deeply unhappy Mina would have done more.

"_I only want to be with you as a man, not a monster who lives of the blood of others._" Dracula spoke calmly even though a storm was raging inside of him demanding that he fight back with Mina. "_I want to have a family with you, grow old, and…_" He stopped there seeing the look of horror in his wife's eyes at the mention of implication of death. Shame took him then. Dracula hadn't given voice to his dark desires for the true death since being married to Mina, since he went through the trouble to turn her. Now he saw a way to end their pain, the cycle of death, and Mina wasn't happy with him. "_I only want to be with you._" He muttered.

"_You want me to be weak, to be prey, and you want to condemn yourself to the same fate._" Mina snarled. When she had been a lowly school mistress she had longed for better things, a better life. She knew her life was meant for more than just a simple life with an un-ambitious husband and children. She was meant for immortality with a man who could love her for all of time. Mina had him, she had her dark prince, and now he wanted to give that life up for humanity. "_I'm not meant to be human._"

"_Do you think I wanted to renounce God? Do you think I wished to become this vile demon who feeds on blood? NO! I did not want this. I only wanted you and a life that we could share._" Dracula said his heart lifting after giving voice to the truth that had been locked away for so long. Out of rage he pounded his fist against the wall leaving a hole. "_You are all I care about whether we are human or vampire._"

"_Then be my No Life King, by my Husband, and be my Sire. I love you…. God forgive me… but I do love you._" Mina pleaded. She hated to see him so conflicted. All she wanted was her life back; the life she had lived for so long by his side under the moon. He was taking away all that she had loved for so long under the assumption that this was the best course of action for them. It wasn't. They were both meant for more than a mere human existence.

Dracula shook his head looking down at the floor. "_No,_" He said with a deep sigh of regret. "_In the morning I go to Belle to ask for her blood so I can cure myself._" He headed to the front door and in English he said, "Mina, I love you more than life and more than blood. I only want to know you as a man should; a living breathing man." The words had been weighing his chest down for months as if some part of him knew that they would end up in a situation like this.

"How dare you!" Mina raged. "You want to be human after you did this to me!" She came to him and did as she had that night he came to turn her. Mina pounded her fists feebly on his back running out of enraged energy. "You took my best friend from me. You kept Jonathon captive while you came to London to seduce me. You made me love you so I would want to spend eternity with you. Now you want to take that away." Mina started to cry. "What have I done to make you hate me so much?"

Dracula turned to Mina cupping her face, looking deeply into her eyes, "I could never hate you." He choked out past the emotion swelling in his throat. "You are my most precious life." He kissed her forehead lovingly. "I want to be human with you, to have a life and a family. Is that so terrible?" He asked knowing that he was now crying bloody tears. "You are all I think about. You are all I breathe. You are all I see. If my heart could beat, it would beat only for you"

"Then let's live our life as we always have; together." Mina hoped that she was getting through to him, past his desire for mortality, but he stepped back from her shaking his head. "Don't…" She felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't do this… please…. Don't…" Mina backed away. "Please, please, please…" her shoulders were shaking as he stepped out the front door. That left her with no other choice. It was something she hadn't wanted to resort to. It had been a full day since Mina had taken Belle's blood. She knew her husband would smell blood; her blood. Going to the kitchen Mina got a paring knife from the block, took a deep breath, and sliced the side of her neck open. With a yelp she dropped to the floor.

Outside Dracula had just set foot on the first step, intentions being to leave the house to cool is raging emotions but the smell of blood, Mina's blood, called him back inside. He saw her on the floor. Her blood was pouring from her neck. "Mina!" Dracula shouted. To the open door he called, "Victor!" He went to his wife pulling her into his arms. "What have you done?" Mina always won in the end. "Oh, Mina, my love…" He could hear her heart beating but he knew not for how much longer.

"Make me yours." She coughed out knowing that when he took her blood, her memories would be carried with it. They alone would remind him of their life, of the happiness they shared. He would see the love they had through her eyes. He would know how much being with him through eternity meant to her. "I want… to know the world…as you know it. I want… to see what you see. I want to love… what… you love…" She repeated.

Dracula sobbed, "Mina… No…" Of all the things he hadn't wanted, he didn't want her to die in his arms. Cradling her neck, he brought her closer to him, "Then… I give you life eternal, everlasting love, power of the storm, and… the beasts of the Earth." Tears fell freely from his eyes. "Walk with me, to be my… loving… wife…" Emotions were thick in his chest. "For all eternity." Knowing that Victor was there, watching, Dracula sank his fangs into Mina's neck in the exact same spot as before. Her blood flowed into his mouth being absorbed through his body and bringing with it her precious memories of their life together, her happiness, her love, and the point of view he had lacked. Dracula saw himself as Mina saw him; the man she was in love with despite being a vampire. She loved him like she could never love anyone else.

Mina could feel his happiness fill the room as her blood flowed into him. He no knew how she truly felt, how she truly saw him. It was worth cutting her neck open. For years she had kept those emotions hidden when he would take her blood, but now she hadn't needed to. He needed to see how she saw him, how she loved him. "Dra…cu…la…" She couldn't breathe. She was dying. "Save… me…" She gasped out. "Take me away from all this death…."

Dracula pulled back, made his shirt vanish. He took the knife she had used cutting a gash over his heart. "Mina, feed from me, and be my eternal wife once more." Guiding her mouth to the blood, Dracula felt Mina's lips close weakly over the wound, and she began to drink his immortal blood once more. As before, he wrapped his arms around her, bowing his head closer to hers. Dracula swayed from side to side as Mina continued to drink deeply. "My most precious life…." He mumbled. Dracula wanted nothing more than to make his wife happy. Being with him for all eternity made her happy. If he could have her by his side forever, then Dracula could begin to make this life his own again. When all was said and done, they would find another realm to live in where there were no expectations, no need to be a brutal man to keep his power. When all was said and done Dracula and Mina would stay in this world; their real home.


End file.
